Take Me There
by senoritagallagher
Summary: She was a girl who loved music and books.  He'd just won American Idol.  When their paths cross, emotions and feelings erupt.  One seeks to overcome adversity but has a short fuse.  The other just wants to maintain a sense of normalcy. David Cook-AI7.
1. Prologue: Beginnings

Ok, reposting my story here. I love the concept I came up with for this story and it was inspired by a verse in "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera.

_Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!_

_Let your soul_

_Take you where you long to be!_

_Only then can you belong to me ..._

_Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world!_

_I hope you all enjoy it. I'll be working on an update for tonight._

_I wrote this a couple years ago, keep reading back through it and want to add to it but I'm a bit stumped. I loved the season of Idol with David. Very genuine. Anyway. Please R&R. I haven't ever posted a story in such a public place so this will be a first. And just as a note, _**bold italics**_ typically signify a perspective shift from either Emma or David's POV.___

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><p><em><em><em>_**TAKE ME THERE**

**PROLOGUE: Beginnings...**

_**SEVERAL YEARS AGO...**_

9 year old Emma Lane walked into the music room at her elementary school. It was time for recess, but Emma wanted nothing to do with the other children. Four square and silly pining for the other boys in their grade level weren't exactly her idea of fun. Oh yeah, and there was the fact that she really didn't fit in with anyone at school.

So there she was...wandering into the music room. She enjoyed music class when it came up on the specials rotation for her class. Ms. Maninov had kept her enraptured with different instruments she'd shown the class, different rhythms they learned, Emma enjoyed it to be sure.

On this day, she entered the music room, pushing the partially closed door open. Lights were off except for the ones in Ms. Maninov's office. The blinds in the room were open and streams of light filled the room like a panel of light and dark.

Emma walked around the room, inspecting the instruments that were on display around the room. A bongo drum, which she promptly pat quick with her little hand, a set of maracas, a tambourine, a shiny silver flute, an acoustic guitar sitting in it's stand, a trombone lying on the table... Emma ran her fingers over each as she walked around the room towards Ms. Maninov's music collection and sound system.

Looking through the mix of tapes, records, and other forms of media, she wondered what made each of them so special. Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, Etta James, The Beatles, Gloria Gaynor, Bach... She picked one out and placed it in the sound system and pressed play.

She turned around, sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, and closed her eyes.

The music began it's magical journey, swirling around her and she felt it move her, a smile spreading across her face.

She sat there for the next 30 minutes, uninterrupted until the bell rang and she quickly turned the music off, running out of the room.

Unbeknownst to Emma, Ms. Maninov had seen (and heard) everything, a smile playing across her own face.

_**A FEW WEEKS LATER...**_

It was music day for Emma's class. After music class had ended, Emma got in line with the rest of the students. As she passed by Ms. Maninov at the door, she was handed a note by the teacher. She looked up at Ms. Maninov in confusion, but was only given a smile in response.

Once back in the classroom, Emma looked at the paper in her hand and read:

_Emma -_

_You are an incredibly gifted girl. How would you feel about attending a symphony performance with me over the weekend? I have already discussed this with your parents and they think it would be a great opportunity for you. In fact, they will be joining us as well. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday when the music can envelope us all!_

_Ms. Maninov_

Emma's eyes grew wide and joy spread across her face. It never left for the rest of the day and somehow the ludicrous acts of the other kids in school didn't seem to bother her that day.

_**SATURDAY EVENING**_

Having arrived at the theatre where they symphony was to be performed, Emma and her parents found Ms. Maninov who smiled with great appreciation that they had indeed shown up. Emma was equally appreciative of Ms. Maninov's offer and her parents' acceptance. She leafed through the program looking at the pictures of the different musicians in the orchestra and titles of the pieces that would be played.

_Piano Sonata No. 11 in A by Mozart_

_William Tell Overture by Rossini_

_The Four Seasons by Vivaldi_

_The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha_

_Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin_

_Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera_

_Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven_

_I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady_

_Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky_

Eventually the lights went down, introductions were made and the conductor came out. As his hands went up, instruments rose also. Emma closed her eyes and was surrounded by the music. Her smile grew as the evening progressed, her hands taking on a life of their own as she felt the music within her rise and combine with what she was experiencing. Tap, tap, tap her fingers went on her pant leg, as if she too were playing an instrument.

After the symphony was over, Emma's parents and Ms. Maninov conversed for a few minutes. Emma didn't pay much attention, she was still in awe of the music.

"She's got a tough road ahead of her," her father said, looking down at his daughter.

"She does, but she's got a gift," Ms. Maninov replied.

"I just don't know how we're all going to handle it, what with her temper and all. She gets so fed up so easily sometimes," her mother sighed.

"Time will tell," Mr. Lane said, closing the conversation.

Goodbyes were said and Emma headed home with her parents. Little did they know what had been started that evening.


	2. Feeling the Music

**Chapter 1: Feeling the Music**

_**15 YEARS LATER...**_

Laughter surrounded her. Emma looked at the smiles on her friends' faces. They matched the one she had on her own face. "Finally," she thought, "Finally I found some true friends. It took long enough... All the drama of middle and high school and I'd finally found them." Harper sat beside her on the blanket with Anna on the other side. Joel, Graham, and Carissa were on another blanket just in front of them. Emma was at the summer Pops in the Park with the gang, something they'd gone to every summer together since graduating from college.

It was a place where she could forget her frustrations and get lost in friendships and in music. Besides books, music was another passion of hers that she couldn't let go of... Or was it that it wouldn't loosen it's grasp on her? Either way, Emma couldn't imagine life without music...for many reasons, but we won't go there right now.

Joel tapped her on the shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie. "So what do you think?" he asked.

Emma shrugged, thinking to herself, "About what?"

"Are you going to go to that American Idol concert that Harper has been 'harping' on...pun intended," he said, shooting her a look which she gave right back to him, "forever?"

She laughed as she considered the question. Harper and Emma had been in an English class together in college their freshman year and became friends after working on a project together. The next year they put themselves in the housing lottery at college and signed up for a room together. They've been roommates ever since...the rest of their college years and now with a loft to share.

"Oh American Idol... What on earth have you done to us? To America?", Emma thought. Harper started watching the show in it's 4th season or something and this past year after she'd been put out of work for a few weeks in January due to an annoying job situation, Harper had pulled Emma into the living room to watch it with her.

"I want your musical opinion," she'd told Emma. "You're good with that and you know it."

Emma had rolled her eyes, but stayed put. Over the weeks the routine had become for her, a night of listening, not watching. Emma would close her eyes, just as she had all those years ago in Ms. Maninov's room, and let the sound surround her. Within the first week of the Hollywood rounds, she'd picked 3 top contenders - David Archuleta, Carly Smithson, and Michael Johns.

As it had turned out, she was ALMOST on the money. Almost. David did win. Only not one of her top 3 contenders. A different David who she wouldn't have chosen immediately. However, David Cook did end up impressing her as the competition progressed. Emma had to admit, there was a certain quality to his voice... She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but it was apparently good enough for him to win. She gave it her "blessing", as Harper had called it, when they announced he'd won. She'd looked at Emma to see if she approved of who had won and in return, Emma had just nodded her head, as if to say, "Ok. We'll see what the test of time does."

A hand waved in front of Emma's face. "And?", Carissa asked, still waiting for her response.

Emma looked over at Harper who was looking at her with her best puppy dog eyes and her fingers crossed like they were in elementary school. She laughed, "Oh, I don't know... It's going to be so crowded and little teeny boppers will be all around and that is absolutely no fun... But...for you, Harper, I guess I could put up with it. And plus, it'll be interesting to see if any of them sound the same live," Emma responded, pondering the possible differences between their televised and live performances. From a musical perspective and comparison, it would be an intriguing concert.

Just then the orchestra came to the outdoor stage and our evening of music began. Emma laid back and let the music take over. Eventually, however, she was up on her feet and moving to the music. Nothing crazy, and her friends kind of knew to expect that from her. It was just her connecting with the music. Maybe it was just Emma's fingers gliding along the edge of the blanket like a piano, perhaps arms moving, as though she was conducting, or she was swaying, or just being a goofball with her friends joining in when the orchestra did a Beatles medley, but either way, she was there to feel the music.

What Emma did not know was that the music was going to find her and move her in the most unlikely of places by the most unlikely of people in the most unlikely of circumstances. How...likely that that would happen to her, Emma Lane of all people.


	3. Princes and Princesses

**Chapter 2: Princes and Princesses**

It was a breezy, overcast day in Lexington, Kentucky as Emma walked into work. Regardless of the weather though, she had a smile on her face. Yes, she was smiling as she walked into work. "Not too many people smile while walking into work," she thought to herself. "Of this I am fairly certain."

She walked in and the cool air from the AC hit her sending a chill down her spine. Seeing Mr. James behind the counter, she waved at him as she walked to the office. Upon setting her things down, she grabbed her Vivaldi cd and walked back out, handing it to him. "Just what I need for inspiration," she thought. He obliged and put it in the cd player that controlled the store sound system. He then handed the stock list to her and watched as excitement spread across her face.

As she was setting herself to work, Emma marveled again at the job she had, not quite sure what her title was, but loving it all the same. She had gone to school and majored in English with a minor in music. After graduating, her parents had put her in contact with Mr. James. He owns James Books and is one of the nicest men she'd ever met. He's in his mid-fifties, has slightly graying hair, wears glasses and a genuine smile on his face. James Books is a smaller bookstore with a big heart. She doesn't actually sell the books or work behind the counter, however, she does get paid to relive her childhood and think like a kid. That's what her job was. "Unreal that I get paid to do this," she thought, "I get to think up, design and set up the displays in the children's area of a bookstore. Add to that planning book readings, crafts, and games for the kiddos and I'm in my version of heaven!"

Today she had the task of setting up a display with a fairy tale theme. The new children's book order had a lot of books with swords, castles, princes and princesses, so after reading the book Falling for Rapunzel, Emma knew the display had to be something every little girl dreamed of. How was she going to accomplish this? With a castle she'd bought at the toy store, little plastic throne chairs, a few little costumes, several crowns, swords, scepters, and pretty pink scarves, of course. Always trying to get into the theme she was designing, Emma took one of the crowns and placed it on her head, adding a trusty, shiny sword at her side.

As she worked, several customers came in and browsed the books. Surely a chuckle was had once or twice and if not from the customers, surely from Mr. James as he sat behind the counter ringing up customers. Emma knew she was a sight as she twirled, pieced together a rather large plastic castle, twirled some more, set up some books in a display case, fought off an evil scarf that wasn't staying in place, danced with an imaginary prince, set up some more books... It was all for the sake of the job! An artist needs to get into the mindset of their audience. The children's space at James Books was her canvas and her audience was practically...everyone from 0-99! Everyone loves a good children's story. Emma just happened to have the job of bringing books to life. "How could I not smile as I am working with Vivaldi surrounding me as I set up a CASTLE? Today I am Emma Lane, Princess of James Books."

_**MEANWHILE...**_

David Cook walked into the small bookstore, trying to duck away from the small pool of estrogen in heels that was a few steps behind him. Apparently what used to work at keeping him somewhat anonymous in a crowd, a simple baseball hat and glasses, wasn't going to cut it anymore. So, he sought refuge in the small bookstore.

David surveyed the store. It was relatively quiet, just a few customers mulling over the books on the shelves. A man sat behind the counter, looking to be perhaps a little older than his parents. The music in the store was classical and unusually loud for a bookstore. Not overwhelming, just not what you'd "expect" to hear in a bookstore, if there is any kind of expectation.

He walked in a bit further and saw what looked like a crown bobbing up and down near a back corner. He smiled and thought to himself, "Definitely the children's area." He found a chair near the back and sat down, quickly pulling a folded booklet out of his pocket and a pen out of his jacket. "8 down, 8 down...," he mumbled under his breath as he set back to work on his crossword puzzle.

David worked steadily and unnoticed for about fifteen minutes when suddenly a pink scarf flew out of nowhere and landed at his feet. He picked it up and walked around the bookshelf next to him into the children's area. He stood there for a moment observing. A young woman wearing a crown was twirling about, playing with a little girl who was dressed up in a princess costume. Noting the castle, crowns, swords, and other costumes nearby, he gathered that she was either the mother or she worked at the store.

"Sarah! Sarah, honey, it's time to go," a motherly voice called from behind them.

The little girl frowned slightly, resigning herself to the fact that she had to cease being a princess and return to her mother.

The young woman, who looked to be about his age, helped Sarah out of the costume and gave her a hug before she walked to her mother.

Not being above having a fun time and recalling your childhood, David picked up one of the crowns and placed it on top of his baseball hat and walked over to the other, older princess and tapped her on the shoulder.

She gasped and spun around, her eyes wide.

David stepped back. "Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I am...," David looked around for some inspiration and finding it in one of the Beauty and the Beast books on display, "I am...Chip, prince of Kansas City and I've come to return your pink scarf, my lady," he finished, slightly bowing to her while holding the scarf out for her to take.

She took the scarf from him and smiled, offering a little laugh and curtsy. David smiled also, noting her friendly features, kind eyes and a warm, welcoming smile. He nodded and gesturing with his hands at he children's area surrounding them commented, "Nice work," before heading back to his seat.

The girl watched him for a moment as he walked back to his seat and then went back to work.

David sat with his crossword intermittently working on it and discreetly watching this young woman work. There was something different about her. She was both full of life and yet quiet or perhaps shy, but that is to be expected when first meeting someone, especially in a situation as unusual as theirs had been. She was creative to be sure and quite graceful, yet not above acting like a kid.

At that moment, one of Bach's infamous pieces came over the store's speakers and he saw her sit down on the floor, the crown still sitting on her head, the gold accenting her dark brown hair nicely. He watched from afar with great curiosity.

She was sitting indian style, her eyes closed. He wondered what she was up to, not immediately noticing the movement she was making. If you weren't watching close enough, you wouldn't catch it. A few seconds later, David noticed her hands. They were on her knees, gently tap, tap, tapping in time with the music as if she were playing the piano part of the piece they were hearing. The expression on her face was one of concentration mixed with sheer joy as she played her heart out on an invisible baby grand piano.

If there was one word David Cook was thinking at that moment about this crown wearing, child loving, quiet yet passionate brown haired girl it was this: intriguing. She was definitely intriguing.


	4. Frustrations and Ministration

**Chapter 3: Ministrations and Frustrations**

After lunch, Emma had sat down with Mr. James to work on the calendar for the month. They wrote down the dates for several children's activities and then she set back to work on her grand master piece work in the children's area of the bookstore.

As she worked her magic, Emma picked up the pink scarf that had been so ornery earlier on. It was the same scarf that was returned to her by... "What was his name?" she thought. "What had he called himself? Prince Charles? No, that's the guy across the pond... Ah yes. Chip. Prince Chip of Kansas City," she smiled in recollection of him. He'd been nice enough. And he clearly had a fun personality. And dang it, he looked so familiar. Emma racked her brain trying to place him. He wasn't one of the store's regulars. He didn't look like he was in one of the local bands that Joel was so fond of making sure they all kept up with. She finally chalked it up to him being one of the "in and out" customers. Sparse visits and when they did come in, they were always on a mission and out as quickly as they came in. Perhaps she'd seen him in passing in there before.

As the day came to a close, Emma put finishing touches on her handiwork in the children's area. She had to make sure things were ready for Saturday morning when they did a special reading for the kids. As Mr. James worked on closing up in the front, she took a bottle from the box set on the floor. "A little glitter here and there won't hurt, will it? After all, all fairy tales have that special something that awakens the magic, right?" she reasoned with clear amusement as she sprinkled silver glitter around the small stage that jutted out from the wall in the corner of the children's area. She covered the little castle and the thrones, she herself getting glittered as it fluttered in the air.

After she finished, she stepped back, taking in everything. Mr. James came up beside her, also observing the glittered scene. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he gave her a thumbs up adding, "Nice work, princess. Nice work. The kids will love it."

"Thank you," Emma responded.

"See you tomorrow, Emma," he said, walking towards the office.

Satisfied with what she saw, Emma retrieved her belongings, including several papers pertaining to the reading on Saturday and headed out the door.

The wind had picked up and now rain was falling. Ever prepared, Emma reached to pull her small umbrella out of her bag, shuffling the papers in her hands in the process. She successfully managed to open the umbrella and started walking to her car.

Emma walked with her head bent down a little bit, not looking directly in front of her, keeping the wind and rain from stinging her eyes.

A few moments later, papers were everywhere.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!", a man yelled at her after she'd accidentally bumped into him.

Emma knelt to pick up her papers which were now getting soaked, her umbrella no longer covering her, but instead turned inside out.

"Seriously, open your eyes and look where you're going! What's wrong with you? It's a sidewalk meaning people walk on it and not just you, other people as well! For goodness sake!," he went on and on.

Emma looked up at him, beginning to apologize. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry," she kept saying.

He paid no attention and continued his rant while she picked up her things with tears stinging in her eyes.

"Look at me! I'm talking to you," he said, grabbing her arm.

Emma pulled her arm away, now adding fear to her reasons for the tears spilling down her cheeks.

The man pulled out his phone, still ranting and raving at her. Emma became more frustrated by the second and eventually couldn't take it anymore and ran toward her car several yards down the sidewalk.

Once safely inside her car, she hit the steering wheel with her palm in anger several times as she let the tears fall and once she calmed down she began to drive home.

On her way however, she stopped. There was a music shop about a block from where she and Harper lived. It was in that shop that her baby was kept, the baby grand piano that she dreamed of one day buying, that is. She frequented the shop on her way home from work many times, just to be surrounded by instruments. They gave her a sense of comfort and brought her peace.

Emma walked in, her eyes now dry, but red and puffy all the same. She walked over to the piano she dreamed of one day calling her own. Making sure she was not going to ruin the precious wood of the bench with any wet clothing, she sat down and ran her fingers over the ivory keys. They were cold to the touch and she couldn't wait to warm them up with her playing.

Eventually, she began to pound out a song, setting free all of her frustrations as they became a melody of notes that drifted across the space.

_**ACROSS THE ROOM**_

David stood in the back of the music shop looking at the acoustic guitars. He wasn't looking for a new guitar, but instead helping Michael Johns find a new one. Michael's had been busted in transit between stops on the tour.

"Any suggestions for me?" Michael asked him.

David took a moment, looking them over. "You weren't terribly attached to the one you had?" he asked.

"Well, no, not really. To be honest, it was just a cheap thing I picked up at a flea market once just so I could learn how to play. At this point, I'm thinking it'd be a better investment to find a better quality guitar," Michael responded.

David nodded. "Ok... Well. Fender and Gibson are both some of the best."

"Alright..." Michael said, walking toward the Fender guitars.

Piano music drifted to the back of the room. It sounded like someone was actually playing one of the pianos at the front of the store. "And rather vigorously," David thought, walking past the guitar cases and violins to see who might be playing with such intensity.

It was her! The girl from the bookstore! "The princess of intrigue," David reminded himself as he had thought of her earlier upon his departure from the establishment. From his position, David could see her sitting at the piano, playing like the only thing that mattered at the moment was the music. Everything else could be going to hell in a handbag and she'd be fine as long as the music engulfed her.

"Again," he thought, "Intriguing."

David continued to watch her from a distance. He saw her hair was a bit damp and wind blown, perhaps from the weather outside. Her eyes though... Even closed, he noticed a bit of redness. Upon further observation he also recognized the concentration in her expression all too well and the frustration and comfort she was seeking. He'd been there many a time. Upset, saddened, frustrated, happy, it didn't matter, David had always turned to his music to express himself when words were not enough. Here was another soul doing just the same. And he couldn't help but wonder, "Why...and how?" Several hours ago she seemed like one of the most calm, joyful people he'd ever met. Now here she was serving her frustrations to the world from a black and white palate in the form of a song.

_**FROM THE PIANO**_

Emma played the final notes of the song, easing up on the pedals below and letting the music fade out. She sighed and finally opened her eyes.

Looking down at the keys, she thought, "As always...just what I needed. Let it out and let it go." She recalled those words from one of her piano teachers when she'd taken lessons. It had been advice she'd come to live by. She laughed to herself, "Heck, it practically saved my life." She didn't know where she'd be without having music in her life, whether by someone else or that she played.

"Just another day in the life of Emma Lane," she thought, getting up from the piano. "An unfortunate thought on one hand, yet hopeful on the other." She hated that knowledge. Knowing some things got the best of her, got to her. She should be over it by now. She had her defense mechanism and she had her escape. But even playing out your frustration can't take away the fact that you still have to go back and face reality. "The harsh reality," Emma muttered under her breath as she considered these things for probably the bazillionth time in her life. She could usually make the best of things, but sometimes people were so hurtful, spiteful, and frustrating. The worst part about it was that they either knew it or didn't know it. Both scenarios were equally hard to deal with.

Such are the ministrations and frustrations of Emma Lane, a young woman doing her best to remain optimistic, happy, and hopeful in a world that could easily frustrate her. This is life. Wait. Correction: this is life for Emma Lane, living with the constant reminder that she's partially deaf.


	5. On Being Death    Err    Deaf

**Chapter 4: On Being Death...Errr...Deaf**

After she finally made it home, Emma entered the kitchen and put the tea kettle on the stove. She needed some TLC and that was going to include some chamomile tea, a book, and hopefully drifting off to sleep with her mind anywhere but on what had happened earlier.

Just when she thought she was over it and ready to focus on something else, a lone tear managed to escape. Emma clenched her fists and pounded the counter. "Why? Why me? Why today?" she screamed in her muffled voice.

Emma hated it. Oh she despised it. When she was younger, she learned sign language in order to be able to communicate and being at school, she quickly learned the ins and outs of how to lip read. She did have some residual hearing that helped her out since she was only "hearing impaired" as it is politically correct, but she absolutely refused to speak out loud. There had been way too many times she was made fun of. Kids would call her "death" instead of DEAF and thought she wouldn't recognize the difference. So, she kept her mouth shut.

Eventually later on in middle school, her parents came to the realization that they needed to do something with their ornery, stubborn, yet gifted daughter before she closed herself off completely to the world. "You have to forget the rest of the world and focus on what is best for you," they'd tell her. She'd sit there and simply close her eyes, forgetting they were saying a thing to her. A week later she was in the car being taken against her will to a speech therapist. They had to have been the most awful, humiliating hours of her week. Sitting there having to place her hand on the speech therapist's throat to feel her vocal chords move as she said certain words and then Emma trying to mimick it with her own. The only saving grace here was the fact that the therapist was a woman. Emma would have rather died if it had been a male speech therapist. Embarrassing. Then imagine it: having to place your hand in front of someone's mouth to feel the difference in the air as they said words. Or doing the same putting your hand on their nose. Emma would end up frustrated and crying every time. If it weren't for her parent's insistence, she would never have gone back after that first awful time.

Now here she was, cursing it yet again, but also knowing that she would not be where she was without having had the therapy. She never would have made it through all those years of college, much less successfully completed a major in English that required a speech class, if she hadn't had learned to speak out loud. A blessing and a curse is what it was.

Emma leaned over the counter, bringing her head into her hands. A hand reached out and touched her shoulder. Emma turned around and looked over at Harper whose eyes also burned with tears, not knowing what had caused Emma's hurt, but her heart broken over it anyway. She'd seen Emma broken down way too many times and was ready to be her shoulder to cry on yet again.

Harper looked at her, signing and saying aloud at the same time, "You're going to make it. Just like you always have and be all the better for it."

Emma closed her eyes, willing the tears to stop. When they didn't, Harper stepped forward and embraced her in a hug. Emma gave in and clung to her.

Several minutes later, they parted and Emma signed her thanks to Harper.

"You know I'm always here for you," Harper signed back. She turned to turn off the burner on the stove, moving the tea kettle and then pulled Emma by the arm into the living room.

Looking at her she said, "Let's lighten up. There are so many more things that are worth smiling about."

Emma smiled, "That's Harper for you, always looking for the silver lining," she thought.

A few seconds later, the sounds of Neil Diamond came blasting through the stereo speakers which were set on the floor for Emma's benefit. She could feel the rhythm and somewhere deep within her, she could hear the song.

_Talk a walk_

_We can hardly breathe the air_

_Look around_

_Its a hard life everywhere_

_People talk but they never really care_

_On the street theres a feeling of dispair_

_Everyday theres a brand new baby born_

_Everyday theres a sun to keep you warm_

_When its alright_

_Yeah, its alright_

_Im alive_

_And I dont care much for words of doom_

_If its love you need_

_Well I got the room_

_Its a simple thing changed in me_

_When I found you_

_Im alive_

_Im alive_

The song continued and Emma began to forget the pain from earlier in the evening. She couldn't help but smile when Harper began acting out the song and grabbed her hands to get her up and dancing around. "When it comes down to it, I really don't care too much for my drama and my own words of doom when life kicks me down," she thought. "And I really am thankful for the simple things."

After the song finished, she hugged Harper and thanked her. "You always help me feel better."

Emma re-entered the kitchen to finally fix her tea with a spring in her step, erasing the trudging from earlier. Once she completed the task, she headed to her room, ready to relax and enter another world with one of the books on her bookshelf.

As she readied herself for bed, she contemplated the lines of that Neil Diamond song. One of the benefits to cds and being hearing impaired: you really paid attention to the written words of a song. Perhaps that's why this song came to be so important to her. Once she'd heard it and been able to not only feel the music, but read the lyrics, she appreciated it all the more.

_I wanna take all that life has got to give_

_All I need is someone to share it with_

"That's exactly what I want," she thought. "I want to take life and seize it for all it's worth and all it has to offer this hearing impaired girl." Her expression became solemn thinking of the rest of the line, "All I need is someone to share it with."

"Right," Emma told herself as she climbed between the covers and picked up the book on her bedside table.

She'd never really had any "luck" with the boys. Not that she'd ever really given them reason to care or approach her. She had a wall up that few people could break through. Joel and Graham had been lucky to break through her wall. It hadn't been an easy path for them either. It took a good amount of time and Harper and Carissa kicking her butt about being rude to them when they'd all been at a restaurant together. The guys had been friends with Harper and Carissa since they had all been on the same team their freshman year during an orientation activity. Harper had to practically dress Emma and drag her out to the car to get her to go with them to the restaurant. The guys had been nothing but polite and even tried signing to her, but she'd only stare at them blankly. Not a good choice because she got a quite a verbal hand signaled lashing from Harper later on about it. Eventually she gave up and over time the guys managed to make their way into her world.

"Still," she thought as she opened the book, "Wouldn't it be nice?" She'd imagined what it'd be like to have someone care for her like that, but never sought it out or thought anything like that would happen to her. Who would want someone broken like her? "I mean, after all, I am death as the kids used to call me, right?" she recalled, then quickly shook the thought from her mind as she began to read.

A half an hour later, Emma was asleep, peaceful once more.


	6. Refuge and Release

**Chapter 5: Refuge and Release**

"Hey man, ready to go? I think I've found one I'm going to get," Michael Johns said as he walked by David.

David shook his head, snapping back to reality. "Yeah, sure. Absolutely," he replied, following Michael to the counter at the front.

As he walked, he considered what he'd just witnessed. He didn't know exactly what to think. One thing was for sure...there was pain behind what he'd seen.

"You alright, Dave?" Michael asked as he waited for the clerk to ring the bill up.

David leaned against the counter. "Yeah. I guess...," he paused, contemplating going further. "You heard the music coming from up here, right?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah. That was intense. Why?"

The clerk looked from Michael to David. "She's wanted that baby grand for a while now."

"Who?" they asked in unison.

"Emma. She comes in here every so often and just sits and plays it. She never really says too much, just plays." the woman replied. "My father used to teach her piano in the back of this store. She's very talented."

"Hm. Indeed," David responded, deep in thought.

"Here you go," she said, handing Michael his receipt and new guitar.

"Thank you so much," Michael responded as he and David headed towards the door.

Once outside Michael asked him again, "Are you sure you're ok?"

David nodded. "Yeah. I just sensed pain in her playing, I guess. Did you?"

Michael shrugged.

"I guess I'm just saying I've been there. I mean, as musicians don't we tend to escape to our music to let our frustrations, fears, hopes and everything out?"

"Well, I suppose you're right," Michael responded thoughtfully.

"I caught a glimpse of her face too and you could see the pure concentration in her expression. She was definitely pouring some grand mix of emotions out into her music," David said. "And man have I been there before," he thought, recalling his own tough times when music was his refuge. Adam. One word, one name and it could all at once break David but also bring hope to his heart. He thanked God every day for the fact that his brother was still alive and with them, but the days when he was younger and having to deal with seeing his brother in pain from chemo...that is when music became a part of him. It was in every sense of the word, his lifesaver. It was his release, his escape, and his gift to the world. His brother had told him that. "It'll be your greatest gift to the world, little bro, if you'll just let it be."

David smiled, thinking of his brother and silently thanking him from the streets of Lexington, Kentucky, "And look where we are now."


	7. Outside My Door

**Chapter 6: Outside My Door**

Emma woke with a start, looking around her room. Her clock read 8:00am. What was happening?

Then she remembered. Wasn't technology wonderful? Some genius had invented a clock that woke the hearing impaired. It wasn't her favorite thing in the world. She always felt jolted awake. Switching the alarm to off, Emma slid her feet to the floor and walked across the room, opening her blinds. Her room was bathed in sunlight. She looked out the window watching the birds fly about and the trees sway in the wind. "If the birds and trees are whispering words of truth, this day holds great promise," she thought to herself, happy to be out of her funk and hopeful for the day ahead.

Emma showered and readied herself for the day. It wasn't every Saturday that she worked, but twice a month she did go into the bookstore for special events she had planned for the kids. Today they were having a book reading for them. Emma had convinced Carissa and Graham to come in for this reading. They were both gifted, humorous actors when not busy with their day jobs - Carissa was a teacher and Graham worked crunching numbers in some lofty bank position. They had agreed to come in and act the parts of a prince and princess for the day. They planned to read and even act out several of the books that were on display in the bookstore. It was sure to be an amusing and fun day.

As she was headed out the door, she noticed a note on the door that Harper had left. Emma grabbed it and read it on her way out:

_Em -_

_Gone for brunch with someone from work. Have fun today. Catch you later! Only three more days til the concert!_

_Always - Harper_

Emma smiled and stowed the note in her bag. "Three days," she thought, supressing further laughter. "Not that she's been counting or crossing the days off anyway..."

Emma turned her car in the direction of the local bakery. She was picking up several pastries and coffee to bring to the bookstore. No, it wasn't something she was doing just for her friends, it was something they did in the bookstore for their guests to take care of them and thank them for their time.

Upon her arrival, Emma greeted Mr. James and set up the treats on a table off to the side. She then made sure the small corner stage was ready for Carissa and Graham and the children who would be arriving soon before heading to the office to start planning a bit early for the next event.

Several hours later, Graham was in the middle of fighting off a dragon while Carissa was standing atop a chair playing the part of a damsel in distress at the top of a tower as they read through yet another book. The kids were smiling and giggling as they listened. Emma stood in the back with a smile of her own. This was the kind of thing that made her day and made it all worth it, everything she dealt with in grade school all the way up through yesterday. Just having the chance to help bring a smile to child's face and bring a story to life.

After the story time had ended, several of the kids had asked Carissa and Graham for their autograph and a picture with them, which they gladly obliged.

"Something funny, Lane?" Graham teased as he signed to her.

Emma shook her head. "No, no sir," she responded aloud while signing with her hands.

"Yeah, sure," he said with a laugh.

"Just make sure it doesn't go to his head, Princess Carissa," Emma said, directing her comment at Carissa.

They laughed.

"Thank you for doing this and coming by here today," Emma thanked them.

"You're welcome," Carissa replied, giving her a hug.

"It was fun," Graham added.

"I appreciate it. I'll see you later," Emma said as they headed out the door. She closed the bookstore door behind them, locking it. It was Saturday and they closed early on Saturdays and Sundays. The children's event had been from 2pm-5pm, closing time.

Emma turned around, pondering where to begin her clean up. "Props first, then books, then tackle the glitter," she thought to herself. Before she began, however, she put a disc in the sound system and turned the volume up. If there was another type of music that Emma could appreciate, it was that of a guitar. Not just any guitar music though, something with a beat and rhythm that she could get into and feel. She was thankful she'd been introduced to Rodrigo y Gabriela by Anna during one of their visits to the record store. Right now she was certainly enjoying the flamenco guitar rhythm.

As she worked, Emma recalled Carissa wearing the pink scarf she now held and Graham jousting with himself playing both the good prince and the evil prince. She was so appreciative of her friends. They really did make her life a lot brighter and happier. The difference between her time in elementary school and now was that these people actually cared about her. In grade school they'd talk about her, around her, past her. Her friends now, they talked to her, looked directly at her. They'd never know how much she appreciated that. It made it so much easier for her to understand them when they looked directly at her so she could read their lips. "Yup, I've got it made," she thought to herself.

Emma continued cleaning, eventually pulling out the broom to sweep up what she could of the glitter that...well, glittered the floor. That same floor vibrated with the rhythm and beats of the flamenco music coming from the stereo. Emma could feel the music beneath her feet and couldn't help but move with it.

And so she continued cleaning, being the bookstore cleaning gypsy that she imagined she was.

_**OUT ON THE STREETS OF LEXINGTON**_

David wandered up and down the streets of downtown Lexington, enjoying the fading sunlight and the shadows it cast on the ground stretched out before him.

It was nice to get out and walk instead of being on the bus, holed up in a hotel room, or chased. The estrogen and hormones that had previously been chasing him in the days prior seemed to have disappeared, thank goodness.

He was on his way to nowhere in particular when he recognized he was close to the bookstore he'd run into the previous day. "I wonder if the princess is in," he thought to himself with a laugh. He still found her entirely intriguing and after seeing her at that piano in the music store, he felt even more drawn to her and her story. "Careful, Cook," he told himself as he walked closer. "Curiosity has been known to kill the cat."

Curiosity didn't stop him though. He reached the bookstore and grasped the door handle to pull it open. When it didn't budge, he looked down, trying a push instead. "Darn doors, never know if you're supposed to push or pull to enter," he mumbled.

Then he noticed it. Open Mon-Fri 9-8, Sat-Sun 9-5.

"Seriously?" he thought as he leaned himself up against the door. He opened his eyes and saw that there was still a light on in the store.

Suddenly more aware, he moved to one of the bigger windows on either side of the doors and peered inside. He couldn't see anything... "Wait..." he thought, seeing something in the air. "Is that a broom?" At that moment, he saw her. "What was her name? What had the clerk said?" he pondered while he watched her. What was she doing? She moved around, her hands moving back and forth, every now and then picking the broom up and plucking her hands around the end of it like...like she was, "Playing guitar?" he questioned aloud. He watched her a bit longer. Yup. She was indeed playing air guitar...or was it broom guitar?

David moved back, a little more out of the way, not wanting to run the chance of scaring her if she saw him staring at her through the window. He wasn't making a venture into the stalker life. He was just in right place at the wrong time, unable to enter the store. He couldn't leave though, she had him intrigued and almost...enchanted. He continued to watch her as she played and danced and cleaned. He laughed every now and then, watching her have her fun. His thoughts alternated from wondering what she was like outside the bookstore and what kind of pain she was holding in. One thing he knew for sure was that she was still as she was the day before...intriguing.

Several minutes later he noticed the lights inside were being turned off. He quickly turned and started walking across the street so as not to appear out of place.

He watched her lock the store up and head to her car. Her small silver car drove to the stop sign at the corner and turned right. As he watched her go, these words escaped his mouth before he had time to consider them... "Hello. Is it me your looking for?" Only it was David passing by her door.

The song he was singing as part of his set on the tour suddenly took new meaning. It said a lot that he was uncertain about for the time being, but it certainly asked some questions he was wondering about as he thought of her. "Emma!" he exclaimed, finally remembering her name.

_'Cause I wonder where you are and_

_I wonder what you do._

_Are you somewhere feeling lonely_

_or is someone loving you_

With his hands in his pockets, David hummed "Hello" as he walked down the street back to the hotel he was staying in with Michael, David, and the rest of the crew.


	8. One is the Lonliest Number

**Chapter 7: One is the Loneliest Number**

The next few days flew by for Emma. She kept herself with making plans for upcoming children's events and buying the necessities for those events - craft supplies, snacks, and other making sure the scheduled guests were still on for their scheduled date. She was taking a day off in the middle of the week to go to the American Idol concert with Harper and hence she was squeezing in a few more hours at the beginning and end of her workdays to be able to take that whole day off.

_**ACROSS TOWN**_

David Cook was keeping himself busy during their couple of "days off" on the tour working on the supposed "details" of his album. He was grateful that the producers and his manager, Simon Fuller, were allowing him to write most of his own material. On top of that, they'd completely surprised him by pulling a few strings to get Raine Maida to collaborate on a song with him. David certainly didn't feel worthy of that honor even though they had praised him for the cover he did of Collective Soul's "The World I Know".

At the present moment, David was looking through several other songs by other songwriters that his producers had sent him to look over and consider for recording. Nothing had really struck a chord with him yet though. They also had him working on the liner notes for the album's cover. And THAT was all when he had "free time". He still had interviews, photoshoots and a bunch of other events that required his presence and kept him busy in almost every city the tour stopped at.

He could not complain though. David owed all of his success to the fans. The attention was welcome, he just wished the question of his relationship status and apparently "smoldering" looks took more of a backseat to his musical talents. There were comments made about both of those things in almost every interview and article. Mind you, it was not that he minded the female attention - what guy wouldn't enjoy it? He just didn't want to constantly be looked at like a "delicious hunk of man meat" as he had heard himself called once when a friend mentioned that glorious title he'd been given in an article. No, he'd prefer not to be recognized first as a "delicious hunk of man meat" and THEN for his musical talents. He'd prefer quite the opposite, thank you very much, media and press. But alas, that was only a small part of his success. There were so many other things he could focus on and actually do something to change the world with his music. This was where his attentions were placed. Family, music, changing the world. Everything else was just icing on the cake for him. Changing the world, or at least doing his part to change the world, that would be something.

So David kept at it, enjoying every moment. He breezed through several radio interviews in Lexington and Frankfort, where their next concert would be held. He made an appearance on a morning newscast and charmed everyone he met with his genuine personality and humble approach to his newfound celebrity status. "I'm living my dream right now. It's hard to believe. As a little kid you have so many dreams about what you'll do when you grow up and here I am living my biggest dream...in front of the whole world. It's amazing... I guess I'll have to get some sleep when I have the time and dream some more dreams!" he responded to a question of one of the news anchors.

David did have another dream though, one that he had shared in a more general statement, but shared nonetheless. Sure he'd mentioned he's a bit of a romantic and still believed in the movies, but deep down he was wondering where that movie moment was for him. Being in the spotlight now made it even harder to even begin considering how he'd ever come to date someone again. First of all, you're called a "delicious hunk of man meat" by a certain percentage of the women in the US, then you've got the groupies that'll do anything to sleep with a rockstar, there are the other celebrities out there that will do anything with anybody just for the publicity, then there are the fakes who you never know if they're speaking the truth or not or if they're just using you in the end. David guarded his heart well after his years in high school and college. He had a good enough head on his shoulders that he knew he had to be careful. His experiences in Axium and as a musician back home taught him a lot about how women could end up using you. Now here he was, at the top of the world, his family and friends had his back, yet wondering if he'd ever have the chance to have a normal relationship again. Love at first sight? A complete laugh at this stage in the game. David knew his heart and he knew it was possible on his end, but it takes two to tango and for the girl in the equation, it'd have to be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to him that money, fame, success, that none of that mattered. He wasn't going to blow his chances on someone who might potentially end up using him. David tended to wear his heart on his sleeve though, but he kept it well guarded with armor for protection. Perhaps this is why the princess in the bookstore caught his eye, but for right now...one is the lonliest number when it's just you and your thoughts at night and you're not surrounded by 9 other awesomely talented friends.


	9. And the Future?

**Chapter 8: And the Future?**

The big day had arrived and Harper was buzzing around the apartment on a caffeine high at 8:00 in the morning. Emma sat at the table, leisurely enjoying her breakfast, watching Harper clean, try to dress, and dance to the music blaring from the stereo all at the same time.

When she caught Harper's attention, she said, "You make me laugh."

Harper shook her head and replied, "Come on, come on. Let's go. We can spend a good bit of the day checking out Frankfort if we leave soon."

"Yes, mother," Emma replied with a hint of sarcasm and a smile on her face as she took her dishes to the sink.

Emma walked back to her room to get herself ready for the day and evening ahead. Harper had gotten their tickets and hadn't mentioned where their seats were yet. Emma had been to concerts before, but she always got a seat up near the front and hadn't had a problem with hearing and enjoying the show. As she connected the clasp of her green celtic knot necklace (which went superbly well with the green shirt and white pants she was wearing), she looked in the mirror, once again confronted with the question of whether or not to wear her hearing aids. She despised wearing them. It wasn't like she always needed them or had to wear them. They came in useful in college during lectures so that she could distinguish between the side conversations about what club everyone was going to and what the professor was actually saying. And they were helpful in meetings, but they made her feel so crippled, like she stuck out and everyone's eyes were on her like she was some kind of freak. She'd always been stubborn about wearing them. She preferred just using the tricks up her sleeve of lip reading, signing, and as a last resort, speaking and wearing the hearing aids.

Harper's reflection appeared behind her at the door. Emma turned around.

"Ready to go?" she asked, hopeful.

The funny thing was, Emma didn't mind speaking out loud or wearing it around Harper...or her family. Emma nodded. "Just a second."

Emma took one last look in the mirror and reluctantly grabbed the hearing aids and stuffed them in her bag.

Several cds and sing-alongs complete with windows rolled down and a couple hours later, Emma and Harper sat on a bench in a park in Frankfort eating a lunch they'd picked up from a local sandwich shop. They sat watching the world go by as they ate in silence.

After several minutes, Harper piped up, "So, where do you see yourself in five to ten years, Em?"

Emma looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Taking a sip of her drink, Harper continued, "I mean...look at everyone we know. We've all got our jobs and our friends and everyone has their little relationships now. We've lived a quarter of a century and I'm thrilled with where I am right now... I just...am I missing something here? I feel like I have everything and yet part of me is missing."

Emma took another bite of her turkey club, contemplating her answer.

"Am I crazy?" Harper asked, a look of concern in her eyes.

Emma smiled, "No, you're not crazy. I...I think we all have those longings to feel complete. Kind of like me with that baby grand, you know? I see it every single day, but it's not mine yet. Is that what you mean? I know you're talking about a guy and all, but..."

Harper nodded, "Yeah, I guess that's a good way of putting it." She laughed, "Maybe I need to back down from thinking that every guy isn't going to be the Prince Charming he could be..."

"Harper, you've been through crap with guys, so it's ok to feel that way. Not every guy is Prince Charming... Not that I'd know... Joel and Graham being something of an exception, I guess," Emma replied, considering her own adventures with boys. "Oh wait," she thought with a twinge of sarcasm, "There are no adventures!" Emma had fleshed out her future nicely, thank you. And clearly it wasn't going to include boys. And she was ok with that...sometimes. "Guess I need to take my own advice about that whole longing thing..." she thought to herself.

"So here we are, Em. But you know what? There is fun to still be had and who knows what tomorrow will bring... I'm sorry for that downer. I just heard from my baby sister yesterday that she's marrying Brian next summer...hence making me feel like some old maid."

Emma laughed, "Harper, you are not old, first of all. And second of all, you aren't a maid. So you're in no danger of becoming an old maid. Besides, I thought I heard Graham say something about getting the courage up to take you out to dinner sometime soon."

Harper's eyes widened.

"Alone." Emma added, dramatically.

"No...frickin...way," Harper said, caught very off guard by the comment.

"Yes way."

"Hmmm... I'm going to have to think about that one for a while... Right now, however, we should head over and find a place in line for the show!" Harper responded.

So, Emma and Harper walked back to the car, found their tickets, and drove to the venue, completely unaware of exactly how late their night was going to end up being.


	10. No Way!

**Chapter 9: No Way!**

It was 6:40pm. Emma and Harper were at their seats waiting for the show to begin.

"I can't believe you got seats right here," Emma signed to Harper, not feeling like yelling and getting even stranger looks from those around them.

Harper smiled, "Well, I wanted a good seat and I wanted you to have the best experience you could have. Plus you'll be able to distinguish their voices even more this close and see if you stick to your original predictions."

Emma nodded. "I really lucked out getting a friend like Harper," she thought. She looked around the arena. Seats around them had filled up quickly and the upper and lower level seats were now being packed in. There was a sea of colors people were wearing. "They signify which Idol you support or who your favorite is or something," Harper had told her. Emma kind of laughed it off. "Crazy little teeny boppers. Just like I thought they would be," she chuckled to herself as she took it in.

Harper had indeed gotten them some good seats. They were front row to the left. What Emma didn't know was that Harper had pulled a few more strings for those seats by calling for tickets instead of ordering online. Regardless, it was a good place to be sitting...er...standing, if they'd even be sitting at all.

Taking in the stage, Emma noted the drum set, various guitars, and the keyboard that were set out. She wondered what kind of tricks the keyboard could do. "Guess I'll find out... Nothing in comparison to my baby grand, though." There were several large screens above the stage as well. One gigantic screen in the middle hanging down to the stage and two other large screens, one on each side of the middle screen. "Can't complain about not being able to see either. Four potential views right there," she thought.

Harper was beside her flipping through the insanely priced "program".

"I still can't believe you bought that for $20," Emma joked, nudging her in the side.

"Hey... If you don't mind, I need to know certain things if I'm going to plan a way to steal Michael Johns away from his wife or somehow help Jason gain several years so we can be together," Harper responded, her tone sharp and serious.

"Oh... Far be it from me to stop you from becoming the home wrecker and figuring out the fountain of youth," Emma quipped.

Harper laughed, going back to her impressive literature.

Emma continued to observe the characters who were seating themselves in the lower level area and on the floor. Some of the posters were pretty funny. "KY loves DC!" one screamed. "DA has a BA in Heart Palpitation" another said. "Carly is better than Marley" was written on another. "I want to take Michael Johns to the john and never come back!" Emma laughed. "Jason Castro makes my heart beat Fast-ro" "I want David's cookies!"

Emma tapped Harper on the shoulder, "Have you seen some of these signs? They're priceless."

Harper looked around, taking several of them in. "Michael Johns drop your johns?" she laughed, pointing it out to Emma who also doubled over in a fit of hilarity.

A few seconds later, the lights went down and all you could hear was screaming.

Emma hated that moment. It would have been so hard to distinguish what was going on if she didn't have her eyesight at times. The screaming made it hard to tell if that was all that was going on or if someone else was talking and saying something worth hearing. Trying not to get too frustrated, Emma took a deep breath and looked up at the stage.

"Hello, hello," a man with a thick accent said as he walked out on stage. "Welcome to our little show." Screams followed for about ten seconds.

"I'm Michael Johns. How are we doing here in Kentucky tonight? Good?" he asked the audience.

The crowd screamed their approval.

"Awesome, well, we're going to get things started here and get the rest of the gang on stage. We hope you enjoy what we've put together for you..." he stated as he vanished into the shadows off to the side of the stage.

Emma looked over at Harper. Her eyes were wide and glued to where Michael Johns had been standing. Just then lights began flashing and several of the Idols came out and began singing "I Just Want To Celebrate".

She looked up at the stage. They were dancing, strutting their stuff and smiling like they were having the time of their lives up there. Closest to them there was a blonde...what was her name? And sweet little David Archuleta, the one Emma had predicted would win. He and Michael Johns were probably the only ones she could pick out of the bunch, aside from Carly since she never really paid attention to them, but rather to their music.

Emma closed her eyes, taking in the sound, pleased to know she would not have to reach into her bag and pull out those hearing aids. Harper bumped her hip, Emma opened one eye and laughed as they both began to let loose, get a little goofy, and sway to the music.

_**UP ON STAGE**_

A million things were running through David Cook's mind. "Don't forget the lyrics, don't forget the choreography, step here, high five here, introduce Ramiele now, high note here, grab your guitar now, don't trip over the cords, don't be blinded by the lights, look at the crowd and pretend you can see past the first two rows, smile..." The last thing on his mind somehow ended up being the one thing that would resound in his mind for the rest of the evening when he suddenly saw a pair of hands he thought he recognized...followed by a pair of closed eyes he could have sworn he'd seen before.

There he was...on stage in front of several thousand people, singing a song, having a good time, doing the choreography thing on one side of the stage, and then he was lost. No, he didn't lose his words, he didn't lose the choreography...he was running on autopilot by now with the show. The conscientious, calculated side of him didn't know that and tended to get hyped up before a show thus causing the run-on list of things he needed to do or not do on stage during the show.

He squinted a bit to make sure he wasn't seeing anything. The girl's eyes flew open. No mistaking it. "Princess?" he thought. "No way..." David went back to his thing on stage, every once in a while looking back over in her direction, trying to figure out if it was really her. "Evangeline? Erica? Emily?" he went through names in his head while continuing the song with everyone else. He closed his eyes, holding out note at the end of the song.

The lights went back down as he took a deep breath in.

"Emma."

His heart began beating faster.


	11. Familiar

**Chapter 10: Familiar**

With the show half over, it was time for the intermission

"Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we're going to take a little break, an intermission, but when we come back we've got your top four ready to perform! Jason, Syesha, David A and your American Idol, David Cook!", Michael Johns commented.

"Apparently he's the spokesman for the group. Crowned himself the MC of the show," Emma thought to herself.

"Having fun?" Harper asks, a huge grin splayed across her face.

Emma nodded her response, slowly. "Yeah... I guess so. By far Carly has been the best from what we've seen."

"Ehhh... How about Michael though?" Harper asked, a somewhat naughty look in her eyes.

"I see the evil in your eyes, Harper. I know your kind. I know what you are thinking. Shame, shame, shame," Emma scolded.

Harper frowned. "Killjoy."

"You know it," Emma responded, using her quick wit and quick hand movements to sign back.

"Ahhh. Fine," Harper gave up on her fun, "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"Nah, I think I'm good. Are you going to get anything?"

"I guess I'm good if you're alright for now. Still have my water."

They spent the next few moments of the intermission watching people and trying to figure out and identify which color people wore linked them with which Idol as their favorite.

_**BACKSTAGE**_

David continued the inner battle he was having with himself. "Do it, you'll regret it if you don't. Don't do it, you'll regret it if you do. What does she care? What if it's not really her? What if it is? What exactly do you plan on saying to her that won't scare her half to death, Cook?"

There was a knock at his door. "Yeah?" he said loud enough for the person on the other side to hear.

The door opened. It was Carly. "Hey, DC, ten minutes. Ready for Barracuda?" she smiled.

David smiled. Carly was like the sister he never had and a heck of a singer. "Absolutely, Car. No doubt."

"Alright, well, I'll see ya in a few," she said, closing the door behind her.

A few seconds later, another knock. "Come in."

One of the security guys opened the door. "Hey Dave, we got this delivery for you from 'The Word Nerds'", he said with a laugh, emphasizing the name with quotations.

David smiled, looking at the stack of crosswords he now had thanks to the fans as well as the poster attached to them with a large crossword puzzle on it reading "David - Determined, Ambitious, Victorious, Irreplaceable, Destined for success. Best wishes, David - The Word Nerds". "Thanks, man," he responded.

The security guy headed out the door when suddenly David jumped up.

"Hey wait! I need to ask a favor of you..."

_**BACK IN THE FRONT ROW**_

Emma was sharing a laugh with Harper when someone came up beside them. A big someone.

"Excuse me, do one of you ladies go by the name Emma?" the man asked.

Harper and Emma exchanged looks.

Emma held her hand up cautiously.

"Um, her name is Emma..." Harper began, "But..."

His gaze shifted and he looked directly at Emma, "Ok then, Emma? I need you to come with me for a moment, please."

Confusion spread across Emma's face. Fear was also on the brink of making it's appearance. She stood up and the security guy took her by the arm, leading her down toward the front.

"What? Wait! Emma? Hey!" Harper yelled after them to no avail since the crowd was beginning to return and they were already out of earshot. She saw them walk through one of the exits, Emma twisting her arm a bit and looking back in Harper's general direction in a plea for help.

The man was saying something, but Emma wasn't entirely sure what between the noise of the crowd and the fact that he wasn't looking straight at her.

They walked for what seemed like forever when he finally opened a door and they were surrounded by people bustling about with what looked like different outfits in their hands, headsets making them look quite official. They finally stopped at a door the man opened.

"Wait here," he said, looking her in the eye.

Emma didn't know what to do, so she simply nodded her head.

The security guy left and Emma turned around, taking in her surroundings, trying to figure out exactly where they were. It was clear she was in some kind of backstage area. Security's hang out? The tech crew area? But why? They hadn't scalped any tickets or done anything warranting this little visit, had they?

Emma finally sat down on the brown leather couch in the room while she waited. And she waited. And she waited. And no one came back.

Finally giving up on the waiting game, Emma stood up and walked to the door, opening it cautiously, afraid she might get caught leaving.

People were still hurrying about and she was going unnoticed. She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Looking in both directions, Emma tries to get her bearings. "We came from...that direction?" she questioned herself, looking to the left. "Might as well try it." She started to walk, looking for a way to get back into the arena or at least to the hallway so she could get to the arena and back to her seat with Harper.

Suddenly Emma felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder. It sent a shiver down her spine. She turned around slowly, not looking up, afraid she is in for some trouble. What she saw instead were boots...and jeans. "That's not what the security guy was wearing," she thought, even more confused. She lifted her gaze further. "Nope, definitely not the security guy here."

"Hi," mysterious guy said with a smile.

Emma looked at him rather confused. "Who is this guy? He looks familiar...but at the same time I have no idea who he is..." His dark hair, sticking out here, there, and everywhere, his eyes, whatever color they were, they were piercing and she could have sworn she'd seen them before, his smile... But still...this felt all too strange.

Mystery man continued, not faltering for a minute and still looking directly at her, "Soooo. Is it Princess? Or is it Emma?"

Emma took a step back.

"Hey, it's ok," he replied. Someone came up to him to ask him a question. "One second," he said to her, holding up a finger. He took care of the business at hand and continued talking. Whether it was to her or not, she couldn't be sure. He wasn't looking at her.

Emma closed her eyes. "One, two, three..." She was trying to contain her frustration, but it was mounting quickly in this situation after being taken from her seat, sitting for the better part of 20 minutes and no one coming, and suddenly being recognized by someone she had no recollection of. Now she was involved in a mostly one sided conversation...the topic of which she had no clue since she couldn't distinguish his words.

Tears threatened her eyes as she counted. She got to five, opened her eyes, and saw he was still there carrying on his conversation. Emma started backing away, eventually letting her feet carry her down the hallway as she pushed open a door. She thought she heard someone yelling her name behind her, but she couldn't be sure. She was back in the hallway of the arena. A few doors and she was back on the floor of the arena, finally making her way back to her spot with Harper.

"Emma!" Harper exclaimed, seeing her friend once again. "Are you ok?" she asked, giving Emma a quick hug.

Emma tucked her brown hair behind her ear and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she responded. "Just a mix up," she added, not wanting to rehash all of the details.

Harper didn't look convinced, "Ok, well. You're back just in time. They've got one more David A song and then Cook is up next!"

Emma smiled back at her, trying to get back into the spirit.

David Archuleta came out and sang his final song, "Imagine". Emma closed her eyes and enjoyed. As he finished, her eyes opened and she smiled. "That is exactly why I thought that kid would win. He's got a gift."

"Alright, now it's time for your American Idol, Mr. David Cook, or as I like to call him, Cookie!" David A announced.

Applause, screams, and squeals erupted all over the audience.

"Thank you, Archie. Thank you, thank you everyone. This has been so amazing and I owe it all to you! How are we doing here in Kentucky tonight?" David Cook probed the crowd as he walked out on stage.

Emma watched the stage from her spot, now sitting, but still able to see since they were seated near the front. "Woohoo," she said aloud with a hint of sarcasm, knowing no one would be able to hear her. She was still a bit irked about their meeting backstage, still wondering why she felt like she'd seen him before...aside from that little show called American Idol, that is.

"Well, I'm gonna do a few songs here, so how about we get started on that. Let's have a little love for Michael Jackson and Chris Cornell..." he said, leading into the intro of "Billie Jean".

Emma closed her eyes, forgetting the present and feeling the music, feeling it move her and wash over her like a wave of sound. Eventually she did open her eyes, shifting her gaze every now and then away from the stage. She had to admit...he was a good performer, pretty good with the arrangement, and overall sound in the song. She felt the song coming from him as if it were part of the fibers that created his being. Music was a part of him too.

Emma watched as the lights dwindled down to just a spotlight on this guy, David Cook.

"Let me get my trusty guitar and get a little more comfortable here," he said to the crowd as he walked to the back of the stage. He retrieved his guitar, a stool and a hat.

"Alright, here we go. Have to do this one since it's when I won Simon over. A little Lionel Ritchie for you all..."

Emma's eyes shifted to the center of the stage again. Her eyes widened...almost popped out of their sockets when she noticed the hat he was now wearing. KC. "KC, KC, KC... I've seen that hat before. Now he looks even more familiar... KC KC... Princess? Oh my... The bookstore. He's... Chip? Are you kidding me?" she thought to herself, now abuzz with a million mixed emotions inside her.


	12. Hello, I've Just Got to Let You Know

**Chapter 11: Hello, I've Just Got to Let You Know**

David rolled his shoulders, willing the tension to leave as he played the first chord of the Lionel Ritchie tune. "Here goes nothing," he thought to himself as he shifted his gaze to the crowd and brought his mouth to the microphone.

_I've been alone with you inside my mind_

_And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times_

_I sometimes see you pass outside my door_

_Hello, is it me you're looking for?_

As he sang the words, David recalled his visit to the bookstore when he saw her for the first time, when he saw Emma for the first time. He smiled, remembering the gold crown on her head and the pink scarf. He realized it must have been then when she somehow ensnared him.

_I can see it in your eyes_

_I can see it in your smile_

_You're all I've ever wanted, (and) my arms are open wide_

_'Cause you know just what to say_

_And you know just what to do_

_And I want to tell you so much, I love you ..._

Her eyes. There was happiness in her eyes he wanted to share with her, to learn about, to be a part of, to be the cause of. There was also pain in her eyes, as he remembered her playing at the baby grand piano. He wanted to ease that pain, to understand it. Her smile...it was simple, yet infectious, after all it was upon seeing her smile he felt confident enough to make himself look like a fool and wear a crown as well that day in the store. It seemed she knew just what to do to get someone to smile, whether she knew it or not.

_I long to see the sunlight in your hair_

_And tell you time and time again how much I care_

_Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow_

_Hello, I've just got to let you know_

"I don't know much about her, I don't know her very well, but she's got me intrigued...enchanted and I want to know more," he thought, now standing and moving toward the edge of the stage, searching for her face in the first few rows.

_'Cause I wonder where you are_

_And I wonder what you do_

_Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?_

_Tell me how to win your heart_

_For I haven't got a clue_

_But let me start by saying, I love you ..._

"Where are you? Where are you, Emma? Princess?" he thought to as he sang the lines of the song. The lines proceeding saying everything he was holding inside. He sang the heck out of those lines, his voice echoing those in his heart.

_Hello…_

He spotted her. She opened her eyes and looked up, noting how close his voice was to her side of the stage.

_Is it me you're looking for?_

_'Cause I wonder where you are_

_And I wonder what you do_

_Are you somewhere feeling lonely or is someone loving you?_

_Tell me how to win your heart_

_For I haven't got a clue_

_But let me start by saying ... I love you_

He saw her shiver, a look of disbelief on her face. He smiled back at her. "Thank you," he said to the crowd, his eye moving back to her, pointing at her quickly in a somewhat non-descript, non-chalant manner that the audience probably wouldn't recognize, but he hoped she did.

David continued with his set, ending with "Time of My Life" and having the rest of the Idols join him on stage.

_**FROM THE FRONT ROW**_

"Thank you so much for joining us tonight, guys. This is such an honor for all of us and we're glad you were here to have fun with us. We'll catch you later on down the road!" David thanked the crowd and with his final words, they launched into their final song together.

Emma sat in her assigned spot, still baffled by what had just transpired. "No way... There's just no way..." she kept telling herself. "But...you can't deny he was looking at you at some point, Emma, focusing on you. Right?" Now that she remembered why he was so familiar he had to go and add that "Hello" number to the mix? "Seriously?" she thought in her head, mimicking the great philosopher Meredith Grey. Emma didn't know what to think. She was literally mute and clouded with confusion and frustration.

Eventually she heard applause around her and snapped back to reality.

Harper turned to her, "Ready to go?"

Emma nodded. They gathered their bags, the precious program Harper had bought, and joined the rest of humanity in the great exodus out of the arena.

At the doorway out of the arena and into the lobby, a security guard stopped them. The same one who had escorted her backstage...or wherever it was she ended up.

Emma looked up at him, again in confusion. "This is for you," he said, handing her a piece of paper.

Emma took the paper and quickly shoved it in her pocket.

Once outside, Harper pulled her aside. "What was that all about?"

Emma shrugged.

"No, come on. What was it?"

"I don't want to go there tonight, Harper. This has been exhausting..." Emma pleaded with her.

"Take it out of your pocket, Emma Lane. It could be a ticket or something and I don't want anything on my record or either of us in some serious trouble!" Harper replied.

Emma reluctantly pulled the paper out, handed it to Harper, and promptly sat down on the edge of the sidewalk. Harper stood behind her reading whatever it was.

A moment later, Harper stood in front of her. "Are you kidding me? You've got to go!"

"Go where?" Emma asked.

"To meet him. To see him," Harper responded.

"Who? Big, old security man. No, thanks," Emma said, her signing becoming fast and furious as her irritation began to grow. She was tired.

"No!" Harper said as she sat down beside her, opening the paper up again and putting it in front of her face. "To see David."

_David Cook_

_219-753-6037_

_Meet me 11pm by the bus gates...please. -_

Emma shrugged it off. "And why should I?"

Harper looked at her, "Well, it's all making sense now... You getting pulled away by security. You were taken backstage weren't you?"

Emma avoided the question.

"And when you came back so frustrated, I'm not so sure about that, but when he came out and started singing... You avoided looking at the stage like it would blind you if you looked too long. Then he puts that Kansas City hat on and starts singing the Lionel Ritchie song and where is he? Oh yeah, sitting on a stool right near us. Looking where? At you when he sang most of it."

"And?" Emma signed, wishing the conversation would just end.

"And how in the world does he know you?"

Emma closed her eyes. She knew the interrogation wasn't going to just stop if she wished it to, so she might as well comply. "The bookstore. He came in the bookstore one day and I was setting up the fairy tale display, playing around with some of the kids. He came over to return a scarf to me that had gotten away and he had on that hat...with," Emma paused to catch her breath and to keep herself from letting the tears of frustration and confusion from flowing. "With one of the kids' crowns on top of it. He called himself some Prince name and me Princess because I had the whole outfit going on..."

"Wow," Harper said quietly, reaching over to rub Emma's back. "Hey, it's ok. All you have to do is go meet the guy over there in...half an hour and see what he wants. Maybe he's just looking for the name of a book. Maybe he wants to buy a crown," Harper joked, trying to make Emma feel better. "Just...I think you should. There was something very sincere about the way he presented that song. And look," she noted, pointing to the paper. "He even drew a flower on that note, begging for your presence. That's cute. You have to admit it, right?"

Emma laughed, quickly wiping away an escaped tear. "Ok, ok. I'll go," she replied.

Just an hour later, Emma would know a little more about David Cook and in turn he would know volumes more about Emma Lane...whether either of them liked it or not.


	13. A Flurry of Motions, A Flurry of Emotion

**Chapter 12: A Flurry of Motions...A Flurry of Emotions**

Emma walked toward the gates behind the arena. The air had cooled off from earlier in the day and there was a bit of a breeze. The lights from the street lamps lit the way, but just barely, casting shadows along the way. She turned briefly, reconsidering the idea, but she saw Harper watching her, shooing her along. Emma shook her head and continued walking. She saw the buses in the back, but everything seemed deserted. As she got closer, she saw a figure move forward from the shadows by the buses.

With hands in his pockets, she saw David Cook meandering toward the gate. She saw he had a smile spread across his face as he got closer. He pushed the gate open and let her pass by him.

"I got them to unlock it a few minutes ago," he explained...but it was hard for Emma to understand him since it was dark and the light was dim.

Emma fidgeted, waiting for him to close the gate again. She ran her hands over her face, willing herself to be strong, but knowing her eyes were still red from the tears of earlier in the evening.

David turned to face her. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. His eyes were bright, alive, she noted now that they were in better light having moved away from the shadows.

"I...I want to apologize for whatever may have happened earlier this evening. I'm not sure exactly what the security guys said to you or how long you were back there before I saw you but, I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what made you turn and run out, but... I do apologize and I hope it was nothing I said or...or did," he said cautiously, a look of concern in his eyes upon seeing the redness of hers.

Emma paced back and forth after that comment. She didn't know how to respond. Part of her felt bad for having run out, but on the other hand...what was going on? Why in the world would he care if she was there? Granted she knew he recognized her from the bookstore, but so what? "Why would a partially deaf bookstore worker matter that much to THE American Idol?" she thought to herself. "Even just hearing him out as a possible friend you're just setting yourself up for disaster because...he has no clue, Lane...no clue." And yet Emma knew she needed to stop using that defense mechanism of self doubt, self pity... But it was hard. Especially with someone you don't even know but they want to know you. She had more than a wall up, she had an armed fort around her. It was hard to easily trust strangers, or at least new people you hardly know...particularly those who did not know the realities she lived with every day.

She stopped pacing and looked at him. He had kind eyes. Just as Emma opened her mouth to speak, he reached out to touch her arm, perhaps out of concern, perhaps...well, either way Emma was startled. She slapped him and covered her mouth...suddenly thinking better of the thought of opening her mouth and actually using her speaking voice to respond. So, she ran to the gate.

She scrambled to open it and it finally worked. She headed toward Harper who was sitting on a bench enjoying a late night coffee to help keep her awake during the drive home. Emma thought she heard footsteps behind her, but didn't stop to look, to tell them to stop.

Harper heard the fast footsteps coming from behind her and turned. "Emma! What's wrong?" she said, standing up.

Emma sat on the sidewalk, clutching her knees to her chest, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey, what happened?" Harper asked again, crouching down beside her.

"Um, hi," a male voice said from behind them.

Harper turned around. "David Cook..."

"Ahhh, yeah. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I was apologizing to her about whatever may have happened backstage tonight, I'm not really sure what it was and then the next minute she looked like she was going to say something and she ran. Is...is she ok?" he asked Harper, emotion brimming in his voice.

"Is he...is he trembling...shaking?" Harper thought, looking at him. "Hang on just a minute," she responded.

Harper sat down beside Emma and they spoke...only briefly with a flurry of hand motions.

Harper turned around to look at David. "She said...well," Harper stopped, seeing worry in his eyes, not wanting to continue to be the bearer of bad news, "She said she couldn't handle all of this right now."

"I don't understand," he responded, confused.

"She and I signed and she told me that," Harper stopped, her eyes widening as she covered her mouth...realizing what she had revealed. "Oh my gosh, um...she just told me that there's just a lot going on right now she's having to deal with. I don't know. I'm sorry. She is ok though, I can promise you that. She'll be ok."

He didn't respond for a moment, soaking in what had just been revealed to him about Emma Lane. He looked from Harper to Emma whose back was to him as she sat on the concrete, oblivious to the conversation behind her.

"Um, well, just...give this to her. Later. I know I gave her my contact info before, but that's a couple more ways to get in touch. We're leaving for Indiana tonight, but...have her...have her contact me," he replied as he handed a piece of paper to Harper.

Haper took the paper. "Oh...okay... Well, I'm sorry about all of this too. I guess...we'll be going," she said apologetically as she walked over to Emma to help her up.

David nodded, "Okay then."

Emma stood and turned around with Harper by her side as they prepared to depart. Emma closed her eyes. "Why is he still here?" she thought. "Let's just go! Please!" She tugged on Harper's arm as she began to walk.

She caught his eye one more time as they began to walk away.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed looking directly at her, his hand on his chest over his heart displaying the utmost sincerity of his quiet words.

Emma looked away, back in the direction they were walking, still unsure of how to respond to everything.

Once back in the car, Harper wanted to discuss everything. Emma wasn't about to have it though. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

"Another day, please Harper," she asked as she leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes to rest on the ride home.


	14. Does It Really Matter?

**Chapter 13: Does it Really Matter?**

David lie in his bunk on the bus, the musical stylings of Michael Johns and Jason Castro echoing around him as they combined their sounds with each intake of breath as they slept. Yes...they were snoring. David did not notice the noise, however, as his mind was elsewhere.

David had his eyes closed, reliving those last moments on the sidewalk with Emma and her friend Harper over and over. To say he was shocked was an understatement. Speechless he was not, but he was sure he didn't mask the surprise very well when he had spoken.

He thought back to those moments, trying to recall physical reactions and movements that would make Harper's non-discreet disclosure make sense...seem more real. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. He was just trying to put the puzzle pieces together, trying to understand the Emma Lane he'd observed even more.

David thought back to when he first saw her in the bookstore, playing and dancing with a crown on her head. He recalled her laugh as he returned the pink scarf to her, seeing her dancing and cleaning that day the store had been closed, finding her in the music store playing the piano, pounding out her frustrations...

"That's it," he thought, suddenly finding a connection. "Her music. Her music was connected with her pain. Her pain was connected with...with her impairment."

David's heart broke for her, not just because he may have been in the process of developing feelings for this girl he barely knew, but for the gravity of the situation, what she had to deal with on a daily basis. She had been broken down by the world, whether the world knew it or not and if they did, those people were cruel.

At the same time, he recalled her passion and seemingly infectious zest for life, her survival of all the world had thrown at her. She'd made it through school, had found solid friends to depend on, had a job she appeared to love, she played with children whose love is unconditional no matter the person or situation, she had somehow come to develop a deep appreciation for music, and had the ambition and determination to do what seemed impossible in learning to play the piano. Call him ignorant for thinking that, but he was amazed and impressed by this, intrigued even.

David got himself up and moved to the front of the bus, sitting by one of the windows watching the land pass by him in a blur.

David hoped he wasn't part of that group in the world she felt intentionally broke her down after what had happened that evening. He knew pain, none that he himself dealt with on a scale she did, but going through everything for years with his brother Adam took its toll on him daily. He knew how ignorant, quiet, and passive the world could be. Not understanding the gravity of the disease called cancer, inadequate funding for research, the lack of movement made by the government for research...it all affected his family personally and thousands more. It made David appreciate every day he still had the chance to call his brother and talk to him, every breath he inhaled and exhaled, every step he took, each chance he had to create art, and led him to find the good in each person he met.

Now knowing and understanding Emma, her life, and her pain a bit more as well as understanding his potential feelings for her, he wondered, "Does it really matter, her impairment?"

He thought for a moment.

"No, no it doesn't."

And so David Cook sat by the window looking up at the sky, hoping Emma Lane would take a chance and contact him. He wanted to understand her world, understand her passion, and show her that the world was at her fingertips when she played and went out into the world. "Heaven knows she has me at her fingertips whether she knows it or not," he thought realizing how attached he was to her and they'd barely spoken to one another...well, she hadn't even spoken to him at all.

Now fully comprehending this, David Cook hoped against all hopes that he would have a chance to exchange words with her in the near future. For now, he was on his way to Indiana and hoping Kentucky would call him soon.


	15. Intentions

**Chapter 14: Intentions**

It was after midnight when Emma and Harper arrived back at their loft. They both trudged up the stairs in silence. Exhaustion and tension hung in the air between them after all that had happened earlier in the evening. They both parted ways after entering the loft, each heading to their own room seeking rest for their tired bodies and exhausted emotions.

The next morning Emma and Harper set off for their respective workplaces. That evening when Emma returned home, Harper was in the kitchen preparing lasagna.

"Hey, this lasagna should be done in about an hour, ok?"

Emma nodded. "Smells good," she signed back before she headed to her room to drop off her coat and bag. She then proceeded to the living room to catch the evening news.

It was interesting watching television. Stubborn as she was, Emma would try as much as possible to watch without the closed captioning option. Most of the time it was pretty easy, especially with the news, to lip read. For now she was watching the news, but hardly paying attention. She was in a funk, not quite sure what to think or feel about anything after the previous day's events.

A little while later Harper appeared in the doorway.

"Lasagna's ready," she said with a smile, hoping in earnest that she could get Emma to open up a bit.

Emma turned the tv off just as a weather warning was flashing across the screen.

They sat down at the table and Harper waited for Emma to serve herself before plunging into her question.

"That's some wind out there, huh?" she asked, making small talk for the time being.

"It is. I think it's supposed to rain," Emma responded, recalling the weather forecast on the news.

Once they both were served, Harper finally asked her, "Em, are you sure you're ok? What happened last night with David Cook?"

Emma swallowed hard, looking down at the food on her plate. She knew this was coming...she just didn't want to think about it or face it. She shifted her eyes back to Harper.

"Em, seriously, I'm worried about you. What happened?"

Emma saw the concern in her friend's eyes and felt bad for causing her friend to worry so much. She sighed and started to relay all that had happened. "Well, basically, I'm confused. Yesterday when that guy took me backstage, I had no idea what was going on. I got back there and he told me to wait there. I waited and waited. No one came, so I stepped out of the room, planning on coming back to our seats. Well, then he shows up, David Cook, that is. He says he's happy to see me and called me princess for some reason I didn't understand at the time."

"Princess? Aww that's so..." Harper began.

"No, wait," Emma interrupted her. "Then someone comes up to him to ask him something, he keeps talking, thinking I can understand. No, I get frustrated and peel out of there. That's when I got back to you."

"I remember. And the princess reference makes sense now considering the bookstore meeting. But, what happened when you met him after the show? He looked so hurt when he came over to make sure you were ok."

Emma looked at Harper, suddenly feeling very guilty. "He did?"

Harper nodded, "Yeah, he did."

Emma closed her eyes. "Oh gosh. Well, I went over to the gate and he came up to open it, letting me back there by the buses. It was hard to understand him in the dark of the shadows, but we ended up moving into some better light and it was easier to understand him. He started apologizing to me for what happened backstage, saying that he didn't quite understand what happened either. My mind started racing. And Harper, after I recognized him that night on stage when he put that hat on and he started singing that song..."

"Hello?"

"Yes, Hello. I mean, you saw what was going on. It was like he was singing it to me. That just complicated things times ten. He reached his hand out and I wasn't sure what was going on, whether he was going to touch my arm, try to hug me, I was confused. So...I...I slapped him and ran back over to where you were."

Harper's eyes grew in size. "You did what?"

Emma cringed. "I know, I know. But you understand, right? He has no idea about me. And I know nothing about him except that he can sing, he's a bit goofy, and he's a decent looking guy. What was I supposed to do? Let him sweep me off my feet and THEN let things fall to pieces when he finds out I have a hearing impairment? I don't think so."

Now it was Harper's turn to cringe, knowing what she'd revealed to David last night unbeknownst to Emma. "I don't know what to say, Em..."

"That's just it. I don't either. What are his intentions? I don't know and I'm not just going to put myself out there, you know that."

They sat quietly and ate the rest of their dinner, each considering the situation.

Harper finished her meal and stood to take her dishes to the kitchen. Before she walked out, she put a hand on Emma's shoulder and looked her in the eyes, "How are you ever going to know if you don't contact him?"

Emma signed as Harper walked into the kitchen. "I don't know... I just... I need time," she thought to herself.

Just then, the power flickered as the storm had strengthened outside. Looking out the window, Emma saw rain spattering on the windows, the wind swaying the branches of the trees. Emma could feel the little rumblings of thunder as the floor beneath her vibrated. She quickly finished her meal and headed to the kitchen.

"Here, in case we end up needing it," Harper said, handing her a flashlight. She had one of her own and she also grabbed a set of matches.

"Thanks. I'm going to head to my room. I have some thinking I need to do," Emma smiled as she hugged Harper.

The power shut off and the girls turned on their flashlights.

Harper held her flashlight up to her face and smiled, "You're welcome and I'll see you in the morning."

Emma laughed. "Okay. Don't let the storm scare you, little girl," she teased.

"Yeah, same for you," Harper teased back.

Emma walked into her room. It was being intermittently lit by flashes of lightning coming from the windows. Emma took her flashlight and headed for her chair near the window. She had everything she was going to need there...a comfy seat, a pen, a notebook, and a window to look out of.

She still had no idea what to do about the situation. Hearing from Harper how dejected David had appeared after her run in and then recalling his simple apology as they were leaving made Emma feel bad about how she had left things. "But who is he to suddenly waltz into my life like this so suddenly?" Emma knew she was being quick to judge, but she was also quick to protect herself and her heart.

She sat and watched the rain fall and lightning crack through the sky, thoughts continuing to race through her mind, trying to convince her which path she should follow - to contact him or to just leave well enough alone. She kept going back to one question though, "What are his intentions?" She was, quite frankly, clueless as to the answer for this one.

_"How will you ever know if you don't contact him?"_

Harper's words kept coming back to her in response to that question. With that in mind, Emma opened up her journal, searching for a certain page that she had filled with words long ago. You see, Emma had been so tainted by the world and the people in it that she knew the potential in human beings for cruelty. Whether they actually acted upon their thoughts or shared them aloud was one thing, being the victim was an entirely different story.

Thankfully she had found Harper, Graham, and the rest of the gang and she couldn't be more happy or open with the world. The one area in her life where she still lacked trust and some days, hope, was dealing with guys. So, she had taken all she'd learned from her friends, searched her heart, and made a list. This list was made up of characteristics she would not compromise for in a guy, should she ever have the potential for a relationship come about. This wasn't about being a prude or being a goody goody, this was about protecting herself from the cruelty the world had previously shown her. She would NOT let herself be used by someone. If someone couldn't understand her high expectations, then they weren't good enough. Knowing her past and all that she'd been through in grade school should be enough reason in and of itself for making such a list. Considering a relationship can potentially lead to "...as long as we both shall live..." Emma wasn't going to chance it.

She found the page she was looking for. "The Clark Gable List" she'd called it at the time. Emma laughed, recalling that she had made the list as she was listening to The Postal Service and the song "Clark Gable". She did love old movies though...

_- wants to understand me_

_- good listener - looking at me when I speak and then they speak_

_- musician_

_- slow to anger - won't get easily frustrated throughout our relationship_

_- opens doors, pulls chairs out...is a gentleman_

_- good relationship with his family_

_- treats people with respect - I should be able to observe this in different situations_

_- not a party animal_

_- kind heart_

_- compassionate_

_- enjoys kids - interacts well with them_

_- doesn't mind quiet evenings at home_

_- enjoys the arts - a well-rounded individual_

_- willing to learn sign language_

_- teaches me something new - helps me grow_

_- wants to travel_

_- encourages me and allows me to encourage him_

_- giving - of time and self_

_- taller than me - not that that's hard since I'm 5'7"_

_- willing to act like a kid sometimes_

_- enjoys the mountains_

_- can sing or play at least one Frank Sinatra song by heart_

_- can quote (or sign) every line of The Princess Bride_

Emma laughed at her list, knowing that some of them were common desires others shared and some were simply preference. She realized that David had some of those characteristics based on their brief interaction, but there was still the question of what his reaction would be to her impairment and even if he was pursuing her as she thought he was. That still confused her.

Again, Harper's words crossed her mind. _"How will you ever know if you don't contact him?"_

"Indeed," she thought as she looked up from the journal and out the window again. Lightning lit the room again, once again proving why the power in the area was out. "You know," Emma thought, a wave of peace coming over her, "Why not? I went through heck as a kid and even though the older we got the more cruel people were, at least I had found some good friends and I could just look past them and ignore them if I wanted to. I do have some defense mechanisms that did come in handy every now and then. And...sometimes I was lonely. Not that I didn't have friends then, but I didn't have someone to relate to on deeper level. David at least seemed to be trying to be nice and talk to me. I don't necessarily put myself out there like that with guys for good reason nor do they approach me...probably because of the aforementioned wall I put up. And the least I could do is contact him and accept his apology...and do some apologizing of my own for slapping him. Hey, maybe this would be easier in the event that he turns out to be a jerk...with his fame, he probably could get any girl he wanted and forget me in no time. In some ways...perhaps that makes this easier. It's a God awful assumption, but it helps raise my confidence for some reason. I don't like thinking that about someone, but at the same time I still have to protect me."

So it was decided. Emma would email David Cook first thing in the morning before going to work, provided the power was back on. With a new sense of comfort, she curled up in the chair, continuing to watch the display nature was putting on outside her window.

_**IN INDIANA...**_

David Cook changed out of his concert attire and into something more comfortable. They had one night in Indiana and then were rolling out to Ohio in the morning. Since they were relatively close, some of the tech crew went ahead to Ohio and the Idols were given a brief night in a hotel. Rain splashed against the windows of the hotel room he was sharing with Michael Johns. Michael was sleeping on the couch, leaving the bed for David. He lay down on the bed, overcome with the desire to sleep as he found himself a comfortable position. He finally ended up on his side, staring out the window as it rained.

As he lay there, for the millionth time that day his mind wandered back to the previous night in Kentucky. He'd wondered all day if he'd have a message waiting for him on his phone or in his email inbox. Nothing yet. He hoped he hadn't scared her. He hoped she didn't think he was a jerk. He hoped she would step out on a limb like he had and take a chance. Most of all, he hoped to see her again. Email, phone...they just weren't going to accurately portray what he was hoping to help her understand - that even though she might think she was different, he was different too. He wasn't a jerk and different didn't always mean unworthy.


	16. An Exchange of Words

**Chapter 15: An Exchange of Words**

Emma woke with a start. Light rain pitter-pattered against the window. It appeared the worst of the storm from the previous evening had passed and all that was left was slight drizzle. She looked over at her clock. 6:25AM it flashed. "Thank goodness for battery powered clocks," she thought to herself considering the power outage.

Normally she would have woken up around 7am, but something woke her earlier. A dream...she just couldn't remember exactly what it had been about. She never had been good at recalling dreams. When she was a child she could vividly recall her dreams. Perhaps that was because she would dream about hearing people, having real, honest to goodness conversations with people in them.

Emma sat up in her bed staring out the window. Even with the early wake up it was still light outside, albeit a gray sky on an August morning. Emma used to hate how early the day would begin when she was in high school. The sun coming up at 6am seemed like something ungodly to her.

She decided to see if the power had been restored sometime during the night. She walked over to the antique maple wood desk across the room and tried to turn on her desk lamp. It flickered and then came to life, flooding her desk with light. "Good," she thought. "Now for this message..."

Emma opened her laptop and turned it on. While it started up she found her bag from the other night and searched for the piece of paper that the security guard had given her when she and Harper had left the arena after the concert.

Her heart beat wildly when she found it. Nerves? Anxiety? Embarrassment about what had happened? Frustration? Curiosity? Fear? Realizing she was going to be letting part of her protective wall down so quickly with someone who was still almost...a stranger? She wasn't sure why her heart sped up so. Emma took a cleansing breath and walked back over to her computer.

She opened her email account (booksandmusic, if you must know) and after reading through several new messages, she opened a new page to write an email that had the potential to alter her life, alter her view of the world...whether she knew it or not.

_**SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AWAY**_

David was up with the sun in Wisconsin. They had arrived in Milwaukee sometime during the nighttime hours and now he was walking around the venue. Not the most beautiful place to spend the morning, but it was nice to be outside, have it still quiet, sit on a bench and watch the sun come up.

He had been sad to leave family after seeing them in Indiana and had been pleasantly surprised to see them again at a show in Illinois that they'd traveled to. It was so good to have time with Adam for a couple of days. Whenever he got to see Adam he realized how much he actually missed his brother. For someone still young and dealing with a difficult prognosis, it seemed to David his brother had gained so much wisdom beyond his years because of the situation.

David had gone out on a limb one of the mornings he'd been given permission from the tour manager to visit his brother while they had been in Indiana and shared with him about a girl he'd met in Lexington. He shared his confusion, his wonder, how his heart hurt for the pain she felt, he shared what had happened and what he had learned about her.

"I'm at a loss," he had told Adam. "I'm not sure what to do now. Not that there is anything I can do. I don't have any way to contact her, except for going back to Lexington... That'd be a bit creepy though, I'm sure, " he said with a bit of a laugh.

Adam nodded. "Well, brother, I don't really know what you can do about it. Your heart seems to be in the right place. It's really all up to her. Just wait it out. If something is meant to happen, let her initiate contact. It seems to me that she needs to come to a place where she's comfortable with the idea of contacting you. It's understandable since she barely knows you and bro, you came on kind of strong," he jabbed, causing David to laugh and blush a bit.

"Ok, ok..."

"From what you tell me, she's been through a lot and I'm sure the people in her life are there for a reason. They made an effort to understand her when others just brought her down. It's got to be hard for her to trust sometimes, so just wait it out, Dave. Having some guy from a big tv show suddenly have this interest in her has to be overwhelming, you know? Wait it out and let things run their course. I'm rooting for you though, man. You're a good guy," Adam said proudly.

David sighed. "You've really had a hand in that, Adam, whether you know it or not, so some of that is thanks to you. But yeah, I am pretty awesome, I know. Keep it coming," David joked.

"Oh please..." Adam responded, shaking his head in disdain of his brother's mock egotistical comments.

The sun was now making its way further and further up into the sky and signs of life were beginning to show themselves on the streets of Milwaukee. David got up to head back to the bus and get ready for the day.

Upon his return to the guys' bus, he noted that everyone was in different stages of being ready to head into a mid-morning interview. Having already gotten ready before everyone else, David grabbed his MAC and went to the front of the bus to sit down. He powered up the computer, opened iTunes, and after putting in his earphones, he opened up Safari to check his email.

Several messages from Simon Fuller, a couple about his record, a message from mom... "Bookandmusic?", he pondered who it could be from. It hit him who it was and he opened the email.

_From: Emma Lane _

_Sent: Fri 08/14/08 06:36 AM_

_Reply-to:_

_To:_

_Subject: Here it is..._

_Hi,_

_This is Emma Lane. So...here I am. Contacting you._

_I want to apologize for what happened a few days ago. I just...I wasn't comfortable. For a couple reasons. It wasn't you, necessarily, so please don't think that. I just...wasn't exactly sure what was going on the entire time, both during the concert, whatever happened backstage and then outside. And it's easy for me to get frustrated sometimes in certain situations._

_I'm going to get straight to the point, so I'm sorry if this isn't a fuzzy little friendly email you may have been expecting. I just need to get this out there for my sake. I don't have the stamina to beat around the bush anymore since I was so frustrated the other night. So, just know that I am sorry for how I came across, but I have my reasons. And here it is…_

_There is something you need to know about me and please do not reply to me out of pity and don't bother replying if what I tell you bothers you or repulses you or gives you a good laugh because I don't need that in my life. At all. I can't stand ignorance._

_So here it is... I have a hearing impairment. I'm partially deaf. I'm not going to bother explaining all of it and maybe knowing that helps you understand what happened on my end the other night._

_So there it is and here we are... Acquaintances. Your move. And don't let it be out of pity or for a laugh._

_Emma Lane_

David wasn't quite sure how to respond. She certainly did have some kind of wall up. One may have thought she was a bit rude in her tone. "Rightfully protecting herself though, I guess," he thought. She laid it loud and clear, however. No pity, no ignorance.

After taking several more minutes to re-read her email and consider a response, he composed a message in response to hers.

_From:David Cook _

_Sent: Wed 8:14 AM_

_Reply-to: _

_To: Emma Lane _

_Subject: RE: Here it is..._

_Emma (aka The Bookstore Princess),_

_Hello! How are you? I'm quite busy, as you could probably well guess. Thank you for your email._

_I accept your apology, but it is not necessary. I did something and probably said a few things without thinking and might have appeared a little ostentatious. I was a bit foolhardy for assuming (ok, hoping) that you might understand and THAT was wrong of me, so allow me to apologize for that._

_I have to tell you, I might not completely understand your situation both physically or how it has affected you emotionally, but we all have something, don't we? Something that affects us to the core. I have high blood pressure. Sure, it's not a "big" deal and I'm certainly not trying to compare it to yours because it's definitely not the same. I do have one thing in my life that keeps me guarded and careful as you understandably are._

_My older brother, Adam, is my hero. He is an amazing brother, son, friend, husband, father...human being. I love him. The thing is...he has cancer. Brain cancer. He's had a brain tumor for years. I remember when he was diagnosed and I was still in school. He's eleven years older than me. He's 36 now. It has been hard from the start watching this awful disease take it's course. Seeing him deteriorate, gain strength, and then go through the whole process with chemo over and over has been rough._

_However, I thank God for every single day I am still able to see him, talk to him, and visit him. I learned at a very young age, a lot sooner than other kids, how valuable and precious life is and how quickly it could slip away. Most of all, I learned how important each day is in your life. I was surrounded by sickness and death so much when I was a young teenager at the hospital with Adam and other cancer patients and it was so hard to see so many people slipping away from their families... It hurt. A lot. It also taught me a lot though. It made me think about the kind of people I want to be surrounded by and what kind of person I want to be. It made me consider what kind of people are worth getting to know and who is not._

_Now that I have sufficiently written you a novel to read (what can I say, I'm a verbose guy), all of this is to say, what you shared...it doesn't matter. I realized that day in the bookstore as you twirled about that you are one of those people who are worth getting to know. So, there you go, friend._

_David (aka Chip, prince of KC)_


	17. Something Real

**Chapter 16: Something Real**

Having sent her email, Emma decided to take advantage of the early morning. She had a big day ahead.

After showering, Emma dressed in a light khaki skirt and a fuscha three-quarter length sleeve shirt that she always thought looked phenomenal with her brown hair. She stepped into her sandals and went back to the mirror to take a look at herself, taking extra time to examine her hands.

This afternoon they would be having a special reading that Emma organized for hearing impaired children. They would have someone there to read the book to the children and Emma would be signing as they story was read. She was excited about the event. They'd never done anything like it before and they weren't sure how many people would show up, but Emma was thrilled that they were offering something like this to kids in the community with a hearing impairment. She hoped it would foster a love for books, help some of them with their lip reading, enable others to understand the story via her sign language, and that the kids would realize that they can make it in this world and that some people really do care.

For this reason, Emma wanted her hands to look nice and clean. She had always had kind of an obsession with keeping her hands clean, probably due to the fact that she used them so much in signing and gesturing. Once she was sufficiently pleased and they passed her inspection, she got her things and headed out the door to the bookstore.

The day went by rather quickly as Emma got everything ready for the afternoon. The rain dissipated and at about 3pm, kids started to show up with parents in tow, heading for the children's area. Emma had given the book that they would be reading, The Frog Prince, to their reader for the day, her mother. Who better to have involved in this than her own family?

After it seemed everyone was situated in the children's area, Emma walked out and over to the small stage in the corner. This was going to be one situation in which she did not mind using her speaking voice. These kids understood, their parents understood.

"Thank you for coming," Emma started, signing at the same time for the kids who might not understand. "I am very excited about what we are doing today. As some of you might know, I too have a hearing impairment and I hope that with this special reading, we are able to give you all some fun, a love of books, and maybe in the future do more of these events because you are all worth it," she said with a smile, looking at the kids sitting before her. "I would like to introduce my mother, she will be reading our story today."

Emma's mother came out, signing and saying hello to everyone before taking her seat in front of the kids.

"We are going to be reading The Frog Prince today, so I hope you all enjoy it," Emma continued.

With that, her mother opened the book and began to read.

As Emma followed along with her mother, signing as she read, she noted the looks on the faces of the children in front of her. Some of them focused on her mother, watching her mouth as they lip read and took in the pictures. Others would look back and forth between Emma and the book as the pictures were shown. They smiled and giggled at different parts of the story. Emma couldn't help but smile the entire time. This had to be one of the best ideas she'd ever shared with Mr. James.

After the story was finished, Emma mingled with the children and their parents for a while. Many of them thanked her for offering something like this for their kids and hoped there would be more readings in the future. Some of the kids played with each other, acting out different parts of the story they had just been read, jumping around the room. While she was hugging one of the little boys who had thanked her, she saw Mr. James in the back of the crowd with a smile spread across his face. He nodded and gave her a thumbs up. She smiled in return and gave him one back.

Soon thereafter the crowd had thinned and Emma began to gather her belongings to head home. As she headed out the door, Mr. James stopped her and said, "You done good, girl. You done good." The smile that had never left her face the entire afternoon spread even wider.

"Thank you," she said aloud with utmost sincerity as she pushed open the door. She drove home, thankful for the incredibly satisfying day she had at the bookstore.

Once she got home, Emma found herself quite alone since Harper had not yet returned from work. After flipping through their cd collection, Emma put in an old U2 album, the early years, if you will. She turned the volume up so that she could more fully enjoy the music in all it's glory thanks to the vibrations she felt under her feet and the sound, albeit a bit fuzzy.

Emma turned on her computer once again, sending her mother an email to tell her thank you, yet again, for being a part of the reading that afternoon. She noted a new message was in her inbox and checked it out. _acdcguitar_. Emma's throat went dry and she felt her nerves rising. She opened the email and read. Ironically as she read, though unbeknownst to her, Bono was belting out "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".

_(this is a repost of the email DC sent in the previous chapter just in case you need a refresher)_

_From: David Cook _

_Sent: Wed 8:14 AM_

_Reply-to: _

_To: Emma Lane _

_Subject: RE: Here it is..._

_Emma (aka The Bookstore Princess),_

_Hello! How are you? I'm quite busy, as you could probably well guess. Thank you for your email._

_I accept your apology, but it is not necessary. I did something and probably said a few things without thinking and might have appeared a little ostentatious. I was a bit foolhardy for assuming (ok, hoping) that you might understand and THAT was wrong of me, so allow me to apologize for that._

_I have to tell you, I might not completely understand your situation both physically or how it has affected you emotionally, but we all have something, don't we? Something that affects us to the core. I have high blood pressure. Sure, it's not a "big" deal and I'm certainly not trying to compare it to yours because it's definitely not quite the same. I do have one thing in my life that keeps me guarded and careful as you understandably are._

_My older brother, Adam, is my hero. He is an amazing brother, son, friend, husband, father...human being. I love him. The thing is...he has cancer. Brain cancer. He's had a brain tumor for years. I remember when he was diagnosed and I was still in school. He's eleven years older than me. He's 36 now. It has been hard from the start watching this awful disease take it's course. Seeing him deteriorate, gain strength, and then go through the whole process with chemo over and over has been rough._

_However, I thank God for every single day I am still able to see him, talk to him, and visit him. I learned at a very young age, a lot sooner than other kids, how valuable and precious life is and how quickly it could slip away. Most of all, I learned how important each day is in your life. I was surrounded by sickness and death so much when I was a young teenager at the hospital with Adam and other cancer patients and it was so hard to see so many people slipping away from their families... It hurt. A lot. It also taught me a lot though. It made me think about the kind of people I want to be surrounded by and what kind of person I want to be. It made me consider what kind of people are worth getting to know and who is not._

_Now that I have sufficiently written you a novel to read (what can I say, I'm a verbose guy), all of this is to say, what you shared...it doesn't matter. I realized that day in the bookstore that you are one of those people who are worth getting to know. So, there you go, friend._

_David (aka Chip, prince of KC)_

Emma wasn't quite sure how to react to his email. She sat back in her chair and stared at his message, chewing on her nails...a bad habit she had in situations when she wasn't quite sure what to do. Maybe it was the day, maybe it was the email, but her heart, the wall she had around her, it started to soften toward him. Eventually, she began to pound out a response.

_From: Emma Lane _

_Sent: Wed 6:19 PM_

_Reply-To: _

_To: David Cook )_

_Subject: Okay_

_Hi,_

_Wow. I had no idea about all that is going on with your family. I am sorry to hear about your brother's condition. From your words, I would say that what you have been through makes you wise beyond your years._

_I would also like to tell you that I appreciate your sharing all that you have with me. Please understand that while I am grateful for all of that and it does mean something to me that you'd say that it does not matter that I have a hearing impairment and you would still like to get to know me, it is still hard for me to trust. Not that I will not trust and do not ever try to trust. I do and I have, but I'm sure you know how the world can be when you have even the smallest thing going against you._

_I hope things improve with your brother and that they continue to go well with the tour. So here we are again, the end of another email, friend._

_Emma_

She hesitated adding the "friend" part, but she did it anyway and sent it quick before she had a chance to change her mind. With that, she got up from her desk and headed to the kitchen to see what she could mix up for dinner.

_**MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN**_

David found himself in the middle of a crowd in Cush, a club that was near the concert venue where they were holding the afterparty. Yes, he had a drink or two in him, but he still had his wits about him. He'd learned back with Axium and the Midwest Kings to tread lightly on the drinks with these type of events. He was learning even more with these AI after parties and the people that seemed to be invited to them.

Michael Johns was at his side, chatting up his wife and some reporter from a local paper. It was amazing how alone a person could feel at these parties. He loved the time he got to spend on the buses with the other contestants. It was ten times more real than any of this was.

Just as these thoughts were running through his mind, a tall blonde in a tight green number sidled up against him, practically pushing herself into him intentionally. "Hellooooooooo, David Cook," she said, looking up at him.

"Is that a...a smirk on her face?" he wondered as he faced her. Not wanting to be completely rude, he responded, "Hi, and you are?"

"Melinda. Melinda Ducharme," she replied.

"Nice to meet you, Melinda. How did you get into the middle of all of this?"

She placed her hand on his arm and said, "Well, I work for one of the news stations in town." She laughed, "Well, not exactly. I have a friend who pulled some strings to get me in, but I'm certainly glad to be here." She ran her hand up and down his arm as she spoke.

"Was she...is she...squeezing my arm? Feeling up my arm?" David thought, disgusted at the idea. He shivered at the idea and covered by replying, "Well great, I'm glad you were able to get in. I actually have to go and check in with the tour manager, something about tomorrow. It was nice meeting you, Melinda. Thank you for coming."

He started to walk away and push through the crowd, but she pulled on his hand while he was trying to free himself from her grasp. "Aww, you have to go?" she said, in a pathetic sad voice that she probably thought sounded seductive. "I thought maybe...we could have some fun." She ran her tongue across her lips.

David shook his head, "Sorry, I really do have to go." He jerked his hand free and pushed his way through the crowd and walked out into the night. Sure he'd said a little white lie, but he couldn't be in there any longer. He couldn't stand situations like that.

Once outside he quickly removed the jacket he had been wearing, wanting to rid himself of all things that had been in contact with Melinda. She was so...fake. It baffled him, the women who threw themselves at him, thinking they'd always get a response out of him. "Well, they would," he thought, correcting himself. "Because I don't want to be rude, but...ugh...ridiculous." He was getting tired of the afterparties. The same thing almost every night after the concert. Courting the press, appeasing the local news reporters who somehow almost always seemed to be female and single, and the fans who think all he cares about are looks... Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. That's apparently what most people thought he was looking for...at least most of the women he met thought that.

As he walked back to the arena and to the bus to get himself some rest, David counted his blessings considering all of the people he had in his life to keep him grounded. His family, his friends from home, his Idol friends. Real wasn't silicone, hair extensions, dye, a certain pair of shoes, wearing a certain famous name, being friends with all the right people, going certain places... Real was... Real was... "Emma," he thought with a smile. He began to walk a little bit faster, now curious as to whether she had responded to his email or not.

After changing clothes, David logged into his email. Much to his delight, there was an email from Emma. He smiled as he read her words. "There's some progress," he thought as he readied his response.

_From: David Cook _

_Sent: Thurs 12:44 AM_

_Reply-To: _

_To: Emma Lane _

_Subject: RE: Okay_

_Hey hey!_

_Look at that! We're friends now I see. From acquaintances to friends. That's a step up. I'm honored!_

_I want you to know that I understand and accept where you are coming from. No worries. Though, I will say... We already do kind of know each others' deepest, darkest secrets... Don't worry – we don't need to get together and paint each others' nails and do each others' hair now._

_To be sure, I'm not sure that helps very much in some ways. Perhaps the best thing I could do out of respect for you (and so that I don't go about assuming things again...because we know how that ends up, haha) would be to make myself an open book. Maybe it's weird for me to ask and I hope I'm not being to frank or up front, but do you have any questions for me? About me? I sincerely hope, plead, and beg you not to believe a word in those magazines and tabloids they conveniently place near the checkout line at your local grocery establishment. I don't pay any attention to them because I know they're full of filth and gossip. I do know that fact wise and as weekly "literary works", they're horrendous._

_Thus ends another email from me. Your move, princess._

_Sincerely,_

_David R. Cook_

David sent the email to Emma and headed back to his space in the bus. He stretched out and laid his head down on his pillows. As sleep overcame him, his last thoughts before drifting off were hopeful ones, having noted that she had added the word "friend" in her email to him at last.


	18. Questions

**Chapter 17: Questions**

Emma woke the next morning and headed to work. When it was time for lunch, she stopped by the front to let Mr. James know she was meeting several friends for lunch and she'd be back in an hour.

With that, she headed out the door to Genaro's, a little sandwich place just down the street. She found Anna, Graham and Carissa waiting for her outside. After ordering their food, they took their meals outside to sit at a table.

"So Em, how are you? It's been over a week since we've seen you," Anna spoke up.

"Yeah, how did your event for the hearing impaired kids go at the bookstore?" Graham asked.

Emma nodded and held a finger up. Of course they'd hound her with questions just as she'd taken a bite of food. She gave them a thumbs up as she finished, wanting to be sure she could be as articulate as possible considering her speaking voice was weak and fuzzy as it is.

"It went well. It was such a great feeling seeing the kids respond and being able to offer them something like this that they probably haven't had offered to them before," she said proudly. "We are thinking of trying to do it again sometime."

"That's great, Em. Those kids really deserve to have people looking out for them. Who better than you?" Carissa said.

It meant a lot to Emma to hear that from Carissa, who was a classroom teacher. While she didn't work with special ed students directly, Emma knew she had to deal with kids with all kinds of learning disabilities and had to adapt and modify to meet each of her students' needs.

"Thanks, Car. When do you start your workdays for the new school year?"

"Soon enough!" Carissa laughed. "I'm looking forward to it though, having two years under my belt now, I feel like I know more of what to expect and how to handle things."

Emma nodded. "And you Graham...how's work?"

"Oh you know. Numbers, numbers, numbers. Crunch, crunch, crunch. With a new fiscal year starting in July in a lot of places, we've been helping do check ups on budgets for different places, making sure they're working. It's all very, very exciting," he said with great exaggeration.

They all laughed.

"And Anna has had a good go of it lately using her design skills for the Lexington Philharmonic," Carissa said on her friend's behalf.

"What?" Emma asked, unaware of this news.

Anna smiled, "Yeah, they had me design some of their posters and boards for the new 2008-2009 season. And I'm getting paid partially in season tickets!"

"Wow, congratulations!" Emma said, reaching over to hug her friend.

"Thanks," she responded appreciatively. "Oh hey! How did that concert with Harper go? I know you were so looking forward to it," she said sarcastically.

Emma smiled and took a bite of her food, using it as a way to bide her time in answering because honestly...she wasn't sure how to answer that question considering all that HAD happened.

"It was...good. Alright. Nothing to write home about. Harper seemed to enjoy it though, so I'm glad she was able to experience it."

"Well, you were good to go with her," Carissa replied. "What did you think of it all?"

Emma swallowed hard. "It was ok. A few interesting situations. Like I said...nothing to write home about really..."

Anna didn't buy it. "If you say so..." She made a mental note to talk with Harper later on.

"Anyone know what Joel is up to?" Emma asked.

"He's busy at the stables. Checking in on all those insanely expensive horses," Graham answered.

Ah yes, they were in horse country, were they not? Joel was a vet, a horse vet specifically and he kept quite busy with all of the horse parks, centers, and what have you. It was funny for Emma to think about... Joel being a vet. You'd never know by his appearance that he was a veterinarian, but if you saw him with animals, specifically horses, he had an entirely different demeanor around them. They always joked with him calling him "The Horse Whisperer".

Conversation continued and after they had finished their meals, they all parted ways, each heading back to their workplaces.

When Emma arrived back at the bookstore, she took over at the front so that Mr. James could work on inventory and numbers for the month in the office. The rest of the day went by rather slowly and Emma kept herself busy reading a book. As closing time neared, she placed a cd in the system and upped the volume. She then went about her routine, alternately cleaning and conducting an orchestra she could not see, but imagined.

Later that evening she checked her email. There was an email from him. She opened it hesitantly. As she read, she smiled at the first part of his email. A lump grew in her throat as she read the second part. "Any questions for him? What kind of question was that?" she wondered. Boy did she have a question for him, but she was still uncomfortable with it and if she was uncomfortable with it, it would probably blindside him. His intentions...she still wondered what in the world his intentions were... After what happened backstage at the concert up to now...what had been his intentions and what were they now? She didn't know.

Harper's words haunted her every time she opened an email from him. _"How will you ever know if you don't contact him?"_

Well, she had now. And in some ways, maybe asking over email would be easier...they wouldn't be face to face. And he could completely ignore her question if he wanted and not respond. And she could always delete his email if she got too worked up about what the possible answer could be.

"Might as well," she told herself as she prepared to compose a message back. She added some wit to surround the question that clouded her mind. Yes, another defense mechanism.

_From: Emma Lane _

_Sent: Thurs 8:12 PM_

_Reply-To: _

_To: David Cook _

_Subject: Question, Question 1, 2, 3_

_I suppose a thank you is in order? Thank you for choosing to be respectful of my space and opening yourself up like that. So, about those questions. I do, in fact, have some. It will be interesting to hear your answers._

_What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?_

_How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?_

_How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?_

_Why are there only seven wonders of the world?_

_Why is it that when we "skate on thin ice", we can "get in hot water"?_

_Why do people say "heads up" when you should duck?_

_What type of animal is Snuffaluffagus?_

_What were...are your intentions in this situation?_

_And finally, since I hear you are "word smart", what is another word for "thesaurus"?_

_I know these are a bit intense, so I understand if it takes time to reply._

_Emma_

_**ST. PAUL MINNESOTA**_

Another show, another party, another long day coming to a close. David found himself battling a headache as he prepared himself for a night of well-deserved rest.

Before crawling into his bunk for the night, he opened his email account to see if there were any messages from home. He'd had a missed call from Andrew, but when he tried to call him back, there was no answer. Maybe there was an email. He hoped nothing was wrong.

Instead, David found an email from Emma. He opened it and read. He couldn't help but smile and laugh at the questions she had posed for him to answer. He appreciated her humor. It seemed she was feeling a little more comfortable hearing from him.

Her second to last question caught him a bit off guard. His intentions. He knew his answer and at the same time he knew it might overwhelm her. The honest truth? He just wanted to get to know her. At this point, knowing her situation, he'd settle for friendship because as he had told her, he knew upon seeing her that she was one of those people worth getting to know. Anything beyond this surface email friendship, he would leave up to her. He didn't want to be one of those people who ended up being a prick and hurt her in the end. She deserved more respect than that and he would give it to her...with a bit of humor thrown back at her.

_From: David Cook _

_Sent: Thurs 11:57 PM_

_Reply-To: _

_To: Emma Lane _

_Subject: RE: Question, Question 1, 2, 3_

_I sense a bit of sarcasm and humor in those questions, yes? Well, I will be more than happy to acquiesce your request for answers._

_Air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? African or European? Everyone knows that question cannot be answered without specificity about what kind of swallow. And I do know... I am a king...prince after all. (You have seen Monty Python, right?)_

_How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? I can accurately state that it takes 232...for me, that is._

_How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? If a woodchuck could chuck wood, we would know then, wouldn't we?_

_Why are there only seven wonders of the world? I believe there are far more than seven. What about the Himalayas? The lands and sea north of Alaska? The Alhambra Palace in Granada? The Great Wall of China? Sunrises and sunsets? Simple things are so often overlooked._

_Why is it that when we "skate on thin ice", we can "get in hot water"? So that after we are so cold we are able to warm up?_

_Why do people say "heads up" when you should duck? Well, those people who do say that...they're just cold hearted human beings._

_What type of animal is Snuffaluffagus? Awww, good old Snuffy. Wooly Mammoth, of course. Didn't you pay attention when Sesame Street was on? And he had a sister. Alice._

_What were...are your intentions in this situation? They will and always have been this...to simply get to know you. As I said before, I knew when I saw you that you were one of those people worth getting to know. As simple and as plain as this, I promise. No hidden agenda. I want to get to know YOU, not just some person from a show we played._

_And for your final question, isn't it obvious? What is another word for "thesaurus"? Easy. Lexicon._

_With that, I bid you a good night, Emma. Thank you for your email._

_Lexically,_

_Mr. Word Smart_

David's heart was warmed as he sent the email. It had been a long time since he'd been able to connect with someone outside the American Idol bubble. He knew when he got into it that "normal" relationships with other people would be hard. He knew people from his past would want to "cash in" on knowing him and want favors. He realized that it would be hard for him to find true friends both inside and outside the industry. Had he been without such a great family behind him and new friends among the other Idols, he was sure he wouldn't have made it this far.

Connecting with Emma...she gave him a dose of what he needed to continue to keep himself grounded. Reality outside the Idol bubble. Friendship, granted it was a brand new friendship that would take time to build trust. Still, she was someone real and unassuming, without an agenda. It gave him a reason to continue on and to do his thing. He now had a platform from which he could bring joy into the lives of people who he wished would realize he wasn't so different from. He had been where they were. Nine to five jobs, paying the bills, taking care of family, dealing with crisis. He'd just been given the opportunity to share a gift he had on a wider scale. It also gave him a greater chance to give a little back to a world that had given him so much. He was able to call attention to cancer research on behalf of his brother and little Lindsey Rose and so many like them. It was because those folks that David took joy in his artistry and put his heart and soul into all he did.

Emma might never know how much he appreciated her even considering responding to his emails. He was incredibly thankful that she did though. He knew it was hard for her for certain reasons, but he also knew he came with a lot of "baggage" now. It was hard for him to even get past at times.


	19. Good, Great, Splendid

**Chapter 18: Good, Great, Splendid**

Emma was looking forward to the long Labor day weekend coming up in about a week. Like all of the other stores, James Books was also preparing for the coming school year. Emma was busy thinking up a display for back to school. They had a sale coming up for the school year as well so it was going to be a busy week ahead. After she got through the next week though, she'd be ready for the long weekend.

One night after work, Emma came home to find Harper had ordered Chinese for dinner.

"We both have had busy weeks, so I figured we could just sit?" Harper shared with a smile.

Emma nodded. "I like the way you think."

They sat down with their food and discussed their work days.

Harper had been waiting to ask Emma about anything involving David Cook or the night of the American Idol concert ever since she'd made the "suggestion" that she contact him. She knew it was hard for Emma to be open with people, so she just let her deal with it on her own. Until now.

"Sooo. Did you...ever...email David Cook?" she asked quietly.

Emma had just taken a bite of her sesame chicken. It never failed, did it? Always when she had her mouth full questions were fired at her. There were some advantages to sign languages. You could talk with your mouth full.

She signed back slowly, "I...did. Yes."

Harper's eyes widened, almost in surprise. "Really? And?"

Emma swallowed, "And...I don't know. And...we have emailed back and forth a few times? He did...answer my question."

"His intentions?"

Emma nodded. "He said he just wanted to get to know me. That that's what it has always been about. Something about knowing I was the type of person worth getting to know."

Harper smiled, "Aww, that's sweet."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Come on, you can't deny that."

"He's also...he's been through a lot with his family. His brother has brain cancer. I guess it's taught him a lot. And you know, it's kind of helped me relate to him a bit more, as sad as that sounds," Emma responded.

"No, it's not sad. It's called a connection," Harper replied.

"Yeah. I guess so. The email has been nice. Kind of funny. He's rather amusing. But then again, it's always easier to talk to someone when you're not looking at them face to face."

"What do you think you'd do if you were to see him again?" Harper asked.

Emma had no idea. "I don't know. It would be very different. Like reeling all the way back to the night of the concert. As if nothing had changed from then until now."

Harper saw Emma's facial expression cloud over as she considered what a face to face interaction with David would be like again. She could tell the idea made her nervous, so she changed the subject.

"Well, let's talk about Labor day weekend. We're definitely going to the Pops in the Park on Friday night, right?"

They talked and made their plans for the long weekend.

Later that evening Emma considered again what it would be like to see David Cook again. Different, but at the same time not different at all. She wasn't sure what she'd feel. Right now, the thought of it scared her. He was freaking David Cook for goodness sake. That made her nervous, sure, but what scared her was what followed him. The press, the media, the paparazzi. She was afraid of putting herself out there to be his friend knowing full well that with that she ran the risk of having the whole world know that she was hearing impaired. Surely the press wouldn't be so kind with their words though. She imagined the words "Deaf and dumb" spread across newspaper headlines should they find out that one of David Cook's friends had a hearing impairment. She'd be the laughing stock of...the world. Walking down the street...no doubt she'd get laughed at, made fun of, given a hard time. Yes, you could say she was jumping the gun thinking about things that were as yet unlikely just barely knowing him at this point in time, however, she knew human nature and it wasn't all that pretty. So yes, her mind went there. Seeing David Cook again...she didn't know if she could handle that.

_**OMAHA, NEBRASKA**_

David had just finished another email he was sending back to Emma. His spirits were high, she seemed to be opening up a bit more in her emails to him. Sure, at times it seemed like a lot of "surface" conversation, but David was happy to have any kind of conversation with her.

As he closed the email he sent to her, he noticed one from Simon Fuller.

_From: Simon Fuller _

_Sent: Fri 12:56 PM_

_To: David Cook _

_Subject: Labor Day weekend_

_David,_

_Hope all is going well on the road. We just got a request for an appearance by you over Labor day weekend. Give me a call when you can._

_Simon_

David looked down at his watch. 5:30pm. He was in his dressing room backstage. He had finished his warm up about forty-five minutes ago. He pulled out his phone and dialed Simon.

"Hey Simon," he said after Simon had picked up.

"David, hello. How are you?" Simon asked.

"I'm doing alright. And you?" David replied.

"I'm good. How is everything going on the tour?"

"It's good, great."

"Excellent. Listen, we're in the process of sending a package out to you on the road. It's a copy of the tracks you've already recorded for the album. Take a listen to them and if you have any notes, questions, comments, write them down, then give me a call. We'll get your producer on the line and we can all talk."

"Ok, sounds good. What was this in your email about Labor day weekend?" David asked.

"Ah yes. Well, we got a call about a week ago requesting your presence as a guest vocalist, but we weren't sure how it would work out with the tour and everything until now. With the tour winding down, we also wanted to start looking at more solo appearances for you, so this is a good start. It looks like you all will be in New Mexico on Thursday for a show before the long weekend begins. We would plan on flying you out of New Mexico so that you have some time to rest before your appearance on Friday and then you'd have the rest of the weekend to relax. We'd then fly you back out to Colorado either Monday night or Tuesday morning so you can rejoin the tour. How does that sound?"

David laughed, "Well, it sounds good Simon. How about you let me in on where this is though?"

"Oh, I suppose you would like to know that, wouldn't you?" Simon asked.

"Yes, it would be nice to have a bit of a heads up," David replied.

"You'll be flying out to Lexington, Kentucky to join the Lexington Philharmonic as a guest vocalist. They have an event they will be doing in a nearby park and the theme for the event is Broadway tunes. They would like you to sing the song you did on the show from Phantom of the Opera - Music of the Night."

David barely heard anything he said after the words "Lexington, Kentucky".

"Hang on, Simon, did you say Lexington, Kentucky?" he asked, just to make sure his hearing wasn't failing him.

"I did, is that alright?" Simon asked.

David laughed, "Yeah, yeah it's fine. Great."

"Ok then. I'll be in touch. Have a great show tonight, David."

"Thanks, Simon." David said as they both hung up.

Lexington. David had hardly anytime to begin comprehending what that might mean before his phone started ringing in his hand. It was his mother, Beth.

"Mom?" he said as he answered the phone.

"Hi baby, how are you?" she asked him.

"I'm great mom. Getting ready for a show. Is everything ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied.

He heard laughter in the background. "Where are you?"

She laughed, "In the hospital. I have someone who wants to talk to you."

David's eyebrows furrowed. "Okay..." he replied, slightly confused.

"Hey there, Dave," a weak voice greeted him. It was Adam.

"Hey bro. It's good to hear your voice," David smiled. It was always good to hear Adam's voice. It meant another day gained.

"Yours too, David. How is everything on the road?"

"It's good. Hard to believe it's starting to wind down. I'm looking forward to some down time though, get to see all of you before the craziness starts with my record."

"Yeah, that'll be good. And...how is everything else?" Adam asked.

David knew what he was getting at.

"Before you even finish, it's going ok. We're emailing back and forth and gosh... I haven't even had time to comprehend this, but apparently I'm going out to Lexington to sing with the Lexington Philharmonic over Labor day weekend."

"Wow, Dave. What are you going to do? Are you going to...?" Adam began to ask him.

"Tell her? I don't know. I don't want to do anything to lose her trust. What do you think?" David asked his older brother.

Adam paused and then answered, "Keep doing what you have been doing, Dave. Be her friend. I can't really tell you what the right answer is, just keep following your heart. So far it hasn't steered you wrong."

"Will do," David replied. "So, how are you doing?"

David could have sworn he heard a smile spread across his brother's face.

"Well, you remember back in July when the doctors told us that my tumor had stopped growing?"

"Remember?" David asked incredulously. "How could I forget? That news made my freaking year, man!"

Adam laughed, "Well, they decided they were going to continue to monitor things and do a scan once or twice a month to check up on things..."

David was getting impatient, he just wanted his brother to get to the point. "And?"

"And...still no growth," Adam declared proudly.

David jumped up from his chair. "Wooo! Adam! That is the best news! Oh wow. That's great. Congratulations, bro," David said as tears formed in his eyes. "Couldn't have asked for any better news than that."

"Me neither, Dave, me neither. Thanks," Adam replied.

"I'm really glad you guys called me, you made a fantastic day a phenomenal day," David told his brother.

"Glad I could be part of that, David. I know you've got a show to do tonight, so we won't keep you any longer, but I wanted to let you know what was up."

"I'm glad you did, Adam. Thank you for calling. I love you, brother," David replied with a grateful heart.

"No problem. Love you too, Dave. Knock 'em dead tonight, rockstar," Adam said as they both said their goodbyes.

"Could this day get any better?" David wondered. First he gets news about the tracks for his album, then he finds out he'll be singing in Emma's hometown, of all places, and THEN he hears from his brother that his tumor still hasn't grown.

David heard a knock at his door as he went to put his phone up. "Come in," he yelled.

"Hi there, Davey-boy," Carly Smithson said as she walked in, her accent thick. "How's it going, Mr. Rockstar?"

David smiled. Aside from Michael, Carly was probably one of his closest friends among the Idols. She was the "mom" of the group. She had been a rock for him to lean on throughout the show after the blood pressure incident and a good listener who provided an outlet for him to talk to her about his family since he wanted to keep his family and talk of his brother out of the press and off of the show. It meant a lot to him.

"Good, great, splendid, in fact," he replied.

"Is that so? What's up?" she asked as she sat down across from him on the couch in his dressing room.

"Well, I got some fantastic news today. Remember how we heard my brother's tumor had stopped growing in July?"

Carly nodded.

"Well, they're doing checkups every now and then to scan and see if anything is changing. Adam had another scan today I guess and...still no growth!" David beamed, a smile permanently spread across his face by now.

Carly jumped up from her seat and gave him a big hug.

"That is fantastic news, David. I'm so happy to hear it," she said as she hugged him.

"It is, it is. Thank you," he replied.

"Wow," she said as she stepped back. "What else is new?" She gave him an inquisitive look.

Again, David knew exactly where she was trying to steer the conversation. There were only three people he ever talked to about Emma with - Adam, Michael and Carly. "Need a female perspective, I guess," he'd decided at the time.

"Well..." David began as he sat back down. "I'm apparently going to be singing with the Lexington Philharmonic over Labor day weekend."

Carly thought for a moment. "Wait a minute. And Lexington is..."

David nodded. "Indeed it is."

"Wow, David. Are you going to tell her you're going to be there?"

"I haven't...I haven't really had time to think about it and think it through. I don't want to do anything that could potentially lose her trust. What do you think?"

Carly sat quietly as she wisely considered her words before she spoke. "Be careful, David. She seems to be a very fragile girl. Think before you act, think before you speak. Be her friend, David. You are a great guy and this could be a good thing. You'll know what is right as it draws nearer," Carly shared, imparting her wisdom upon him.

David nodded, her words penetrating into his mind, turning over and over as he considered them. He had to admit, he wondered what she'd think about seeing him again. Considering their last personal interaction, he hoped things might be different, that she wouldn't be afraid. He just wanted her to trust him.

"Thanks, Mrs. S," David finally said, teasing her.

"You're welcome, little one," she laughed, touseling his hair like he was a little child, quite funny considering he was actually older than she even if she was married. All of the Idols called her "Mrs. S" every now and then since she was the group "mom".

"I'll see you out there in a few, Rockstar," Carly said as she hugged him and then she walked to the door. "I'm really happy for you and your family, David. And I think you've got a great trip coming up for you," she smiled.

"Thanks, Carly," David replied as she closed the door.

Left alone with his thoughts now, David had plenty to be excited about. He also felt a bundle of nerves building up inside. He would soon have the chance to see Emma again. He was thrilled beyond belief and couldn't believe his good fortune. He just wasn't sure how Emma might react to it. He wondered if she might shy away from seeing him again. He hoped not. He wanted to see her again, share this wonderful news with her, share his music with her and for her to share some of her world with him.

Very quickly before he had to head out for the beginning of that night's show, he brought up his email account again and typed her a quick message.

_From: David Cook _

_Sent: Fri 6:23 PM_

_Reply-To: _

_To: Emma Lane _

_Subject: !_

_Yes, what a subject title, I know. Mr. Word Smart with no words. Shocking, right?_

_Well, I suppose there's good reason and I wanted to share it with you!_

_I got a call from my brother today. Last month as the tour was starting, we found out that his tumor had stopped growing. They are doing check ups every now and then to see how things look and I guess he had another scan today. STILL NO GROWTH! I can't tell you how happy and excited that makes me! I'm so grateful he's been given another good report._

_Yet another reason I know it's important not to take a day for granted. You never know what the next day will bring, good or bad. I'll certainly take the good though!_

_Gotta go. Show starting very soon. I just wanted to share this news with you... I think you're one of the first people I've told! See you soon!_

_David_

David sent the email and closed his computer. In his elated state, he hadn't even realized that he'd let on that he may, in fact, see her in a week. He grabbed his vest and guitar and headed out toward the stage. David had a burst of energy that he hadn't felt since earlier on in the tour. He was ready to give Omaha the thanks they deserved for being the city that gave him his "big break". Plus, you know...another show finished meant another day closer to Lexington... And that put a smile on David Cook's face.

That night as he sang "Hello" once again, when he closed his eyes, giving himself over to the music and words of the song, he pictured Emma, a girl who had managed to permeate the corners of his heart and yet he still had to win over her heart. She already had his. He hoped he could be the man she was looking for. It might take time, but he knew she was worth getting to know, worth the wait.


	20. The Music of the Night

**Chapter 19: The Music of the Night**

Friday had come. The long weekend had arrived. Emma stopped by the loft she and Harper shared to pick up a cooler, stocked it with ice, water, soda, a fruit salad she'd made the night before and several other goodies. She grabbed two blankets and headed back out the door to meet everyone at the park for the Pops concert.

Harper was there to greet her with napkins and plates. Joel was bringing cups, Graham silverware, Anna was getting sandwiches, and Carissa had gone out to the park at mid-day to stake claim to a spot for all of them. Yes...the event was that popular.

After everyone had converged at said location, they still had about two hours to kill. The guys took a frisbee and went out to an open area to start up a game of ultimate frisbee with a few other folks. Emma, Anna, and Carissa talked for a while and when the guys returned, they broke out the food. The ate and chatted with each other while they waited.

At seven o' clock the pre-show entertainment, a Lexington-based jazz group, took the stage for forty-five minutes. Emma and her friends alternated between conversation, playing a game of travel scrabble, and listening to the band.

Finally at eight the announcer from a local radio station welcomed everyone, made a few announcements and introduced the Lexington Philharmonic's conductor, Eckhart Seigerstam. He was a relatively tall man, dressed in a crisp white suit with a black bow tie. He had a shock of longish white hair, appropriately a bit wild for a genius musician and conductor. He was from Austria and Emma imagined he had a fantastic accent. He seemed to be the quintessential conductor.

There were people seated all around the staging area, literally. There was a small pond around the back side of the stage. The stage itself was something the city had built in the park just for the Philharmonic's use for the summer concert series. The small pond added to the ambience. There were people seated on the other side of the pond since it was still very close to the stage and there were plenty of wonderful places to sit, listen, and still watch the orchestra. There was also a large screen off to one side which was helpful to Emma. She was better able to understand the conductor and of course, see the musicians and vocalists.

"Welcome, welcome, ladies and gentlemen. We are so happy you decided to join us on this lovely Friday evening. We thank you for your patronage throughout this summer concert series. We have had a wonderful, wonderful summer with you here. Tonight is no exception. To end this season and as we celebrate this coming weekend, we have a night full of Broadway for you. So, we hope you will sit back, open your mind, ears and imagination as we begin this journey together. We begin with a nice medley called "Broadway Tonight".

Emma closed her eyes, thankful that Carissa had arrived early enough to give them close seats. There were a set of speakers close enough that she could vaguely make out the sound, but she could also do what she had always been able to do - feel the music. And so, the music began to surround her and engulf her. It took her mind to far away places, as if she were in the different stories represented by the various pieces of music.

The crowd erupted in applause after the song.

"Thank you, thank you, folks. We now have the pleasure of inviting the Lexington Philharmonic's own Steve Lawson, a trombone player, join us at the microphone. Aside from being a phenomenal trombone player, Steve is also a trained singer, a tenor who will delight us all by singing "Bring Him Home" also known in French as "Comme un Homme" from Les Miserables."

The evening continued. Emma would at times find her fingers tapping in the grass as she propped herself up, as if she were playing along with the music. At other times, she was intensely focus on the screen in order to watch the musicians who lived their lives fully in the center of their passion. Emma couldn't have imagined a place she'd rather be at that moment.

Several songs later, the conductor declared that they would be announcing the winner of their guest conductor contest.

Emma had on a whim (okay, with the prodding of her friends) put her name in for the drawing. But, that was back at the beginning of the summer and she had no expectations whatsoever.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Here we go," Mr. Seigerstam said as he took a card from a stagehand. "Please help us welcome to the stage as our guest conductor, Ms. Emma Lane!"

Emma's friends cheered loudly and happily for her.

"Emma, it's you! They called you!" Joel said.

Emma shook her head. "No way."

"Is Ms. Lane here this evening?" the conductor asked.

"Right here!" Graham yelled.

Mr. Seigerstram smiled. "Well, come on, Ms. Lane! The Philharmonic awaits your direction."

Slowly Emma rose to her feet and began walking to the stage. This wasn't really happening, was it?

She looked back at her friends and they shooed her on.

Emma walked to the side of the stage where she was ushered up the steps and into the wings on the side of the stage. As they prepped her with pertinent info (Eckhart Seigerstam would introduce her again, she would walk out, shake hands with him, take his baton, take his place on the podium, music would be in front of her, Seigerstam would introduce the guest vocalist, a drummer will signal her to start, RELAX) the orchestra played another tune. Emma tried her best to relax, taking deep breaths. This shouldn't be as nerve wracking as they were making it out to be.

Finally she was welcomed to the stage once again. Emma had never been more pleased with her wardrobe choice for the day than she was at that moment. She'd chosen to dress up a bit (as many did for this particular concert) in a black sleeveless shirt and knee length black and white patterned skirt with black flats. The only difference now - she now walked on stage without the flats. She was going to give herself fully to the music, truly feel it.

She walked on stage, her hands shaking ever so slightly. She greeted the conductor and he handed her his baton. He stepped aside, sweeping his arm in the direction of the orchestra, giving her his spot on the podium.

Emma stepped up and looked down at the music. Her mind had blanked on the program as soon as they had called her name. Now as she saw the musical piece she would be guest conducting, she remembered seeing it in the program and a wave of peace rushed over her. Music of the Night. How perfect.

She looked up, taking one last cleansing breath. The cover over the staging area was such that she could see the sky above. A beautiful, dark night blanketed the park and millions of tiny jewels in the heavens glittered the sky. Emma's heart swelled with excitement and gratitude at that moment. Could this have been any more perfect? This was exactly where she wanted to be.

She did not hear Eckhart Seigerstam introduce the guest vocalist for the song. She was too busy basking in the moment.

Surveying the orchestra, she saw the drummer signal her. Emma lifted her hands gracefully in the air and the musicians seated in front of her lifted their instruments.

Emma began to move her hands. She closed her eyes. She knew this music. She knew this song. She felt each section chime in at just the right moment... Strings...woodwinds...brass...percussion... Emma knew each section, felt each section, knew where they were. This piece of music...nothing new to her. She had played piano and clarinet in the orchestra in college. She had even directed a song or two in one of their performances. This song...she'd played it with the college orchestra, but it had been a few years since then. However, she welcomed it back into her life with ease and joy.

_Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation ..._

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination ..._

_Silently the senses abandon their defences ..._

_Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour ..._

_Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender ..._

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day,_

_turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light -_

_and listen to the music of the night ..._

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!_

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!_

_Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!_

_And you'll live as you've never lived before ..._

Standing on the podium, the music consumed her and she was completely unaware of the crowd and the man on stage singing. There was only the music, swirling around her like a blanket making her warm, making her feel alive.

_Softly, deftly, music shall surround you ..._

_Feel it, hear it, closing in around you ..._

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,_

_in this darkness which you know you cannot fight -_

_the darkness of the music of the night._

Emma trembled. Being so close to the orchestra and the speakers set on the stage, she felt the music like she never had before. That wasn't the only thing causing her to tremble. The sound. Being as close as she was and having one of the five sets of speakers on the stage... Even with her partial hearing impairment, Emma heard the glorious sound. It sounded a bit distant, but still altogether full and complete. Perfect. "This...this is what it must be like to have full hearing," she thought joyfully. "With cotton in your ears, maybe," she smiled at her thought.

She finally opened her eyes, assessing the beauty in front of her - musicians with their instruments, playing with passion as if they had finally found a missing part of themselves in the instrument. Though still slightly muffled, but more...clear, she also heard the voice of the male guest vocalist.

_Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world!_

_Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!_

_Let your soul_

_Take you where you long to be!_

_Only then can you belong to me ..._

She turned her head slightly in the direction of the voice. It was deep and earnest. With her eyes still focusing on the orchestra, she saw out of the corner of her eye that he was turned away from her at the moment. Dressed in a black jacket and pants, he had dark hair that seemed unruly in places. As he began the final descent of the song, the Phantom's last plea to his angel of music, he turned to face the other direction and he caught her eye as he was doing so.

Emma's eyes widened. She drew in a sharp breath. David Cook? "David Cook was the guest vocalist? Is the guest vocalist for this song? How did I not see this in the program?"

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!_

_"Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation!"_ The words came out of his mouth as he looked at her, his hand moving over his heart as he sang them. As if he were saying them to her. Trust me.

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power of the music of the night_

Emma's head snapped back around to the orchestra. Her heart was racing. David was there. The David who had shared something deeply personal, familial with her. The David who seemed so genuine in his emails to her lately. The David she had slapped. The David she had been scared of. She wasn't sure what to think...not that she had much time to do so between attempting to conduct, trying not to let her feet fail her with this shock, and falling into her zone again with the music around her.

She felt him walk by though her back was to him as he faced the audience, leading the orchestra to it's final destination.

_You alone can make my song take flight_

_Help me make the music of the night_

The music intensified again and Emma smiled, looking up again at the night sky as she took over and led the orchestra on the final steps of their journey to the closing notes of the song.

The music faded. The vibrations faded beneath her feet. Silence. And then...applause.

Emma opened her eyes. The musicians were clapping. She turned and saw the crowd doing the same. She looked to the right and saw Mr. Seigerstam off to the side also applauding her effort. To her left, there was David. Again. He really was there. Also applauding her, looking...proud? Impressed? She wasn't quite sure. What she did know was that the experience had been the single most exhilarating, rewarding thing she had ever had the privilege of doing. She smiled. The experience, feeling, hearing the music (however distant it sounded), the shock of seeing David on stage...with her, nervousness about seeing him, anxiety... She felt it all.

Eckhart Seigerstam walked on stage. His enthusiasm and excitement were contagious. "Let's give her another hand, folks. Just perfect. Nicely done, Ms. Lane," he said, gently hugging her. She thanked him quietly and handed him back his baton.

"And how about David Cook, huh? A beautiful instrument you have there, young man, fantastic."

"Thank you," David said. "Thank you." He waved to the crowd and walked off the stage. A stage hand was waiting for him to take his mic.

Emma walked off behind him, thanking the stage manager. He turned around and she looked up at him, her eyes still wide with wonder and excitement after having just conducted an orchestra in front of such a large audience. He smiled gently at her and in her jubilant, euphoric state, Emma flung her arms around his neck, hugging him. She felt his arms tighten around her as he breathed in. A sigh of relief? It didn't matter at that moment. Emma was just glad someone was with her at that moment who shared her happiness, her passion.


	21. Trust Me

**Chapter 20: Trust Me**

David made his way up the steps behind the orchestra pit and into the wings at the side of the stage. A jazz ensemble was playing for the crowd before the Lexington Philharmonic would take over.

"Mr. Cook?" a woman with a headset approached him.

He turned to her. "Yes?"

"We have a waiting area for our guest vocalist and performers if you'd like to have some time to prepare yourself and get ready."

David nodded. "Yes, that would be nice," he replied. He needed to ease his nerves, knowing he was back in Lexington and that Emma was unaware of this fact...he didn't know if he'd see her there and if he did, how she'd react. He hoped for a positive reaction, at least. He thought it would be unlikely she'd be there, considering the holiday weekend. She would most likely be with friends or family, right?

Standing in the waiting area, David straightened his tie. As he did so, he ran through the lyrics of the song he would be singing. Music of the Night. When he was in middle school he'd gone to a production of Phantom of the Opera and ever since, the role of the Phantom had intrigued him. He connected with the words of this song. Music had been such an important part of his childhood and youth when he'd begun singing, performing in plays, joined several bands, and the journey that had led him to American Idol. Music had surrounded him and in it he'd found a release he couldn't get anywhere else.

His heartbeat sped up a bit. He recalled seeing Emma in the music shop, playing at the piano. That night he had sensed that she too found an escape in music. It was something they had in common, something he hoped would be an aid to him in getting her to trust him, further their friendship.

There was a knock at the door. "Mr. Cook?" a muffled voice asked from outside.

He walked over to the door and opened it. "Ready for me are we?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"Yes, sir. If you'd just follow me, I'll take you backstage," the woman replied.

"Certainly," he responded, following her outside.

The sky had darkened, a deep midnight blue. It was beautiful, David thought as he took in his surroundings. The stars, the half moon, a slight breeze surrounding it all, and magnificent music hanging in the air as the jazz ensemble played their last song.

Once backstage, David was introduced to Eckhart Seigerstam, the Philharmonic's conductor.

"It's great to meet you, sir," David said, shaking the man's hand.

"You too, son," Seigerstam replied. "I was very impressed with your performances on that FOX show, particularly with the song you are singing tonight. In fact, it was hearing you sing that song that led me to push the higher ups to try to get you here tonight."

David was taken aback. "It was...you...who asked for me to be here?"

"Absolutely, David. Like I said, I was impressed. You have an incredible talent."

David didn't know what to say. A man with such training in classical music, leading an orchestra, from another country had been the initiator of the work to get him to Lexington. "Wow, I don't know what to say. Thank you. It is such an honor to be here, even more so now. I had no idea."

"Well the same goes here, young man. It's an honor to have you here with us. I just know you are going to do a phenomenal job here tonight and that you have a great career ahead of you."

"Thank you, Mr. Seigerstam, I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to singing here tonight."

"Wonderful, wonderful. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find my baton and get ready to go out!" Mr. Seigerstam said with an infectious, energetic smile.

David could tell this man loved music, loved what he did. He watched Eckhart greet the crowd enthusiastically and lead the Philharmonic through several songs.

He smiled as they played several songs from shows he'd been in. Somehow he'd never been able to escape them. At one point they played "Seventy-Six Trombones" from The Music Man. Unable to stop himself, David found himself mouthing the words to the song. A few songs later, they played "Tonight" from West Side Story. Again, he couldn't escape it. Sadly it seemed as soon as it started, it ended and Eckhart Seigerstam announced they'd be naming their guest conductor for the song he would be singing. He was a bit nervous about it, he would have loved to have done the song with Seigerstam. Perhaps he would have another opportunity to do so at some point.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Here we go," Mr. Seigerstam said as he took a card from a stagehand. "Please help us welcome to the stage as our guest conductor, Ms. Emma Lane!"

David couldn't believe his ears. "Emma? Emma Lane?" Had he heard right? Were his ears betraying him?

Her name was said again. He had heard correctly. Emma was there. She was going to be conducting the Philharmonic while he sang? David closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he clasped his hands together and bringing them to his forehead, almost praying for a calm wave of peace. He hadn't expected that this would be the next time they'd see each other. Sure it was a surprise to him, even more that she'd be conducting, but how would she react? Surely it would be more of a shock for her. He hoped she wouldn't be upset or frustrated. That was the last thing he wanted.

He saw her climb the stairs on the opposite side of the stage. She still hadn't seen him. She looked lovely, he thought. Her black and white outfit blended in perfectly with the rest of the Philharmonic, like she was supposed to be up there. He smiled upon noticing her bare feet. Now fully aware of her partial hearing impairment, it made perfect sense to him and he found it...adorable. She seemed so enthralled with music and absolutely the right person who deserved more than anyone else to be up there with the honor and privilege of conducting. He was amazed at how ready she appeared for this, as if she had planned all along to go up there barefoot, to truly feel the music with her whole being.

As she took her place in front of the orchestra, Seigerstam introduced him to the crowd.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to our special guest vocalist. He wowed many of you on American Idol and impressed me with his vocals as well, particularly on this song he will be singing tonight, please welcome, David Cook!"

David walked out onto the stage, hearing the crowd cheer. "Thank you, thank you sir," he said, shaking hands with Mr. Seigerstam. "It's an honor to be here."

David looked over at Emma. She was still completely unaware of his presence. She began to move her hands, gracefully leading the Lexington Philharmonic into the beginnings of the song.

David closed his eyes, letting the music surround him and inspire him. He began to sing...

_Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation ..._

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination ..._

_Silently the senses abandon their defenses ..._

_Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour ..._

_Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender ..._

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day,_

_turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light -_

_and listen to the music of the night ..._

Every once in a while as he sang, he would glance over at Emma. Though she still had not noticed him, he saw a smile on her face that was one of pure joy. It made him both weak and confident all at the same time, as if he were drawing strength from her. He continued singing, putting all that was within him, all of his feelings, thoughts, hopes into the song.

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!_

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!_

_Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!_

_And you'll live as you've never lived before ..._

_Softly, deftly, music shall surround you ..._

_Feel it, hear it, closing in around you ..._

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,_

_in this darkness which you know you cannot fight -_

_the darkness of the music of the night._

_Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world!_

_Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!_

_Let your soul_

_Take you where you long to be!_

_Only then can you belong to me ..._

David looked out at the crowd, wondering what Emma might be thinking while he sang. He wondered what wonderful places she escaped to when the music surrounded her.

_Turning slightly, he saw her move._

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!_

She'd seen him. Her eyes had widened in surprise, in shock, he supposed, upon seeing him. He had caught her eye then. Looking at her, he earnestly sang, "Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation..." A more perfect line could not have come along at that moment. It said it all. As he sang the line, he brought his hand to his heart, his eyes pleading to her with sincere hope that she would trust him.

_Let the dream begin,_

_let your darker side give in to the power of_

_the music that I write - the power of the music of the night ..._

She turned away from him, back to the orchestra. David closed his eyes, finishing he song with all of the feeling and passion he could conjure, ending the song on a beautiful note that brought the audience to their feet. And together, but altogether separately at the same time, both Emma and David felt the music surrounding them.

_You alone can make my song take flight -_

_help me make the music of the night ..._

David also joined in the applause, not for himself, but for Emma. She had done a wonderful job. He was impressed, to say the least. It amazed him what she would do, what she would give of herself to feel the music and all that she must have done to give her the ability, the opportunity to stand there conducting an orchestra. She saw him applauding for her along with Eckhart Seigerstam. David smiled and nodded his head gently in great approval.

"How about that, ladies and gentlemen? Let's give her another hand, folks. Just perfect. Nicely done, Ms. Lane," Eckhart said as Emma approached him, returning his baton and hugging him in thanks.

"And how about David Cook, huh? A beautiful instrument you have there, young man, fantastic."

"Thank you," David said in response. "Thank you." He lifted his arm and waved to the crowd as he walked off the stage. A young stage hand came up to him and took his microphone.

He turned to look back out at the orchestra, ready to enjoy the rest of the evening from the side of the stage. Emma was in front of him. He didn't know what to do, what to say. She didn't appear to be angry or upset. Her eyes were wide and sparkling, as if she had tears in her eyes after what she had just experienced, knowing what she had overcome to be at that point. Not knowing what to do, he simply smiled at her.

Suddenly her arms were around his neck, hugging him. David's smile spread wide. He couldn't have wished for a better reaction from her. It wasn't what he had expected, but was also more than he had expected. He too had tears in his eyes, grateful that she wasn't running from him...or slapping him. His arms tightened around her, almost lifting her off her feet since he was a bit taller than her. As he hugged her, he exhaled a sigh of relief, exhaling all of the nerves he had previously been feeling. Instead, he felt happiness, sharing in her triumph and the passion they both shared for music. As he did so, he noted her scent. She smelled of peaches and happiness, sweet and innocent.

"You were amazing," he whispered, only realizing after the fact that she might not have been able to hear him, a thought which caused his heart to twinge with sadness.

Emma began to pull back from him. She looked down, stepping away from him. He wondered what she was thinking...if she wished she hadn't seen him now.

Finally, she looked up. She moved her hands, using the universal ASL sign and simply said, "Thank you" to him with her hands.

He smiled, thankful he could still recall some sign language from his music class in elementary school when they sang a song and used sign language with it. Shaking his head, he replied also using hands with his voice to say, "No, thank you." To emphasize his words, he bowed slightly, lifting his hands in mock worship.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. Her laugh was like music to his ears. "Progress," he thought. "I got her to laugh."


	22. Dancin', Singin', Trustin' in the Rain

**Chapter 21: Dancin', Singin', Trustin' in the Rain**

Emma stood off to the side of the stage near David. He was leaning against a side wall watching the orchestra as they played the last few songs. Emma had her arms crossed, almost hugging herself so that her hands would not be free to fidget.

She couldn't help it. She was nervous, but it was more than that. It was the mixture of nerves but also the joy she had just experienced. She had conducted an orchestra, a feat she never imagined possible. And she had heard a song. She heard it with her own ears. She felt the song, of course, but hearing it... She heard the trumpets, the percussion, flutes, clarinets, David's... David's voice. It had been a distant sound, but all the same, she heard it. And she had to admit, she rather liked the tone and quality of his voice. It was earnest and sincere. Those were two qualities she was beginning to learn were also a part of his character. And that was precisely what made her nervous.

She had her friends, her comfort zone. She thought that was all she needed. No need to open herself up further. Children were her forever friends, always understanding. She'd thought David would be a self-centered jerk, despite what she'd seen in the bookstore that day before the concert. Weren't all rock stars egotistical, drug addicted jerks who lusted after women like they were objects? And yet, David...seemed so real, genuine, understanding...lonely? He baffled her, which scared her a bit, not quite knowing how to approach him. Email had been so much easier than face to face interaction. Couldn't they just go back to that? The time between their first interactions at the bookstore and after the concert, email had shown her in black and white letters more of who he was and herself to him. But email was also a way to paint yourself in an entirely different light. Emma had shared other, little details about her life with him, feeling more confident in doing so over email. David seemed to be willing to share anything and everything, not appearing any different in person or via email. In some way, she admired that about him and appreciated it. He was honest. She was scared. What scared her the most was wondering if she could handle letting someone else into her circle of friends and scarcely have the chance to share any time with them. He was, after all, a recording artist. He had tours to do, places to go, people to see. That surely would knock her down the list eventually. Therefore, she was cautious in getting too attached.

Glancing at the program in her hands, Emma saw that they had one more song to perform. Still feeling what was probably more one-sided tension in the air (of her own making), Emma decided she should probably venture out to find her friends. As she turned to slip her shoes on, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. She laughed a bit at the irony. The rain and the song to be played, _Singin' in the Rain._

"Well, folks, we have neared the end of our journey together for the summer. We want to thank you one more time for joining us here each and every weekend for our Summer Concert series. It has been our pleasure and our honor to share the joys of music with you. As we close out the evening, it appears the skies have opened up appropriately for our last song from that wonderful musical and film starring Gene Kelly, Singin' In the Rain. Stand up, sing, dance, do whatever you wish, but above all, enjoy yourselves. Enjoy the rain," Eckhart Seigerstam concluded as he led the orchestra in the song. Eventually, he began to sing, enthusiastically encouraging the crowd to join in.

Emma quietly slipped away, hoping David wouldn't notice her absence. Didn't work. She turned to see if he had seen her leave, feeling a little bad about doing so, but thinking it was for the best. Nope. He was right there. Emma swallowed hard, this was going to be awkward, exactly what she was trying to avoid.

Instead, she saw him smile, stand and stretch his arms out to the side and look up as the rain fell, soaking into his jacket, flattening his hair a bit.

Emma laughed, also looking up and enjoying the rain. She loved the rain and she loved the film with Gene Kelly that was put together with this song. Her parents had exposed her to many musicals when she was younger, at the prompting of Ms. Maninov. _Singin' in the Rain_ was one of her favorites. She'd never seen it as a live show on stage, but she loved the music all the same.

She was swept out of her thoughts when she suddenly found David had put his arm around her waist, her other hand outstretched and clasped in his. The color drained from her face as her nerves picked up again.

They were dancing. Emma's heart was beating a mile a minute. She closed her eyes, willing herself to stay calm, to not get frustrated or scared, but to just have fun, attachment or not.

As she opened her eyes, she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. David was dancing with her, happily, enthusiastically and well, it was all quite goofy, easing her nerves ever so slightly. He was even singing the words to the song. She had no idea he had actually been in a production of _Singin' in the Rain_.

_Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo_

_Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo_

_Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo_

_Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo..._

_I'm singing in the rain_

_Just singing in the rain_

_What a glorious feelin'_

_I'm happy again_

_I'm laughing at clouds_

_So dark up above_

_The sun's in my heart_

_And I'm ready for love_

_Let the stormy clouds chase_

_Everyone from the place_

_Come on with the rain_

_I've a smile on my face_

_I walk down the lane_

_With a happy refrain_

_Just singin',_

_Singin' in the rain_

The rain continued to fall as David continued to sing, the song meaning more to him at that moment than she'd ever know. Being so close to David for once, Emma noticed how the rain darkened his hair even more. She tried to avoid looking or focusing on any one thing, she knew it would just make her even more nervous than she already was, especially if he noticed. His arm around her waist held her close, but not too close, as though he were still wishing to respect her space. For that, she was thankful. The grass beneath their feet was becoming slippery, especially under her flat shoes. His strong arm held her upright, however, not allowing her to fall.

Eventually, he let her go as the final refrain of the song began. He made up some silly dance moves to the rest of the song as he sang it, at times jumping in the puddles just as Gene Kelly did in the movie. Emma laughed as he ran over to a nearby tree, grabbing on to a low branch, hanging off of it as if it were the lamp post Gene Kelly stood on in the film.

_Dancin' in the rain_

_Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah_

_Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah_

_I'm happy again!_

_I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!_

As the song winded down, Emma applauded his efforts, still laughing and smiling as he made his way back over. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Em! We were worried about you," Anna said, almost beside herself with worry, making it hard for Emma to read her lips. She got the gist of it though, from Anna's frantic reaction.

"I'm ok, I'm ok. Just watched the rest of the Philharmonic's performance from the side of the stage," she replied, quieting quickly when David approached the group.

"Ah, David Cook. We meet again," Harper joked.

He laughed. "Yes, indeed we do. Harper, right?"

Harper nodded. "Yes, and this is Carissa, Joel, Anna, and Graham," introducing everyone else.

David graciously shook each of their hands. "Nice to meet you."

"You did a fantastic job with that song, man. Loved the kind of rock edge your voice gives it," Graham said, complimenting David's vocals.

"Thanks. The Phantom has to be one of my favorite characters to ever appear in a show."

"And Emma! Oh girl, you were just...incredible! I'm so proud of you. You did such a wonderful job!" Carissa exclaimed as she hugged Emma.

Emma smiled and hugged her friend, giving her an extra squeeze to let her know how much she appreciated them being there for that momentous occasion in her life.

"So do you guys want to go across the street and dry off, maybe? Get some coffee?" Joel suggested.

Emma nodded enthusiastically. Although it was the end of August, the rain had chilled her and something warm sounded perfect.

"David, would you like to join us?" Anna asked, turning to David.

Emma cocked her head to the side as she read Anna's lips. "Did Anna just...did she just ask him to join us? For coffee? Oh she did not..."

Her thoughts were interrupted as David looked at her, almost looking for her approval before he said yes.

Against her better judgement, she nodded hesitantly.

With that, they began to walk across the street. As they walked, Emma noted that David stayed near her. She shivered a bit, but whether it was the rain that chilled her or the thought of spending more time in person with David, she wasn't quite sure. A second later, she felt a jacket draped around her shoulders. She shuddered again, looking down at the jacket before realizing where...um, who it had come from. It was black. Joel and Graham didn't have jackets with them. David. It was David's jacket.

Emma looked at him from the side, quizzically. He simply smiled back at her. As they approached the door to the coffee shop, she thanked him, signing once again.

"It was a nice gesture," she told herself, hoping she'd loosen up a bit more.

After ordering their drinks, Joel and Graham began to regale David with stories from their college days when they had all met. Emma laughed along with them. Eventually they were telling him the story of how Harper and Emma had forced the guys to enter the Mr. Georgetown competition at Georgetown College.

"Oh man, the things we do for our friends. They'll never let us live it down," Joel said, trying to conceal his embarrassment, but not being able to do so.

Graham chimed in, "No kidding. You'll never guess what they had us do for the talent part of the show. Although, I will say we did it pretty fantastically."

Harper laughed, "You got that right. Priceless, just priceless."

Emma looked over at David. He hadn't stopped laughing or smiling since meeting her friends. They all seemed to get along quite well.

"I don't know. Did you guys have to sing that horrific Barney song to each other? You know, I love you, you love me..."

Emma about died laughing as she read his lips then and had to set her drink down so that she wouldn't spill it. Carissa reached over and pat her back.

"She'll be ok, really, she will," she said jokingly.

"Oh gosh. No, that definitely wasn't it. Not a bad idea, but...well, go on guys," Emma prodded them along in their story, not realizing she'd spoken out loud aside from signing, not realizing she'd let more of her wall come down than she had planned.

"Ok, ok. Well, we went up on the stage to do this together. Kind of like a two for one deal," Graham laughed.

"Exactly," Joel said continuing the story. "You know that movie for the ages that just melted every girls heart, Titanic, right?" he asked mockingly.

David nodded. "Yes, I may have heard of it. It starred that amazingly gorgeous man Leonardo Da Vinci, right?", he joked.

Harper chuckled. "Yes, precisely."

"Well, basically, we pretty much re-enacted that scene at the front of the boat. That part where Jack and Rose are standing on the railing and Jack declares that he is...and I quote 'the king of the world'," Joel finished.

"Oh and lest we forget, throughout our superb acting we also played and sang that Celine Dion song to each other," Graham quickly added.

"Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeear, faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar, whereeeeeeeeeeever you are..." Joel sang to Graham.

"I believe that the heart does...go ooooooooooooooon," Graham sang back dramatically.

They were all beside themselves with laughter. Emma had realized she had spoken aloud and that David had heard her speaking voice. Slightly embarrassed, she was glad for the laughter to cover up her nerves.

As the night wore on, she grew tired in spite of the caffeine and eventually everyone began to gather their things.

"Where are you staying while you are here, David?" Carissa asked.

Emma had given him back his jacket by now and as he slid it on he replied, "Oh, I'm just at a hotel down the street."

"Ok, well, maybe we'll see you another time this weekend, man," Joel said, shaking David's hand once again.

Looking cautiously at Emma and then the rest of the group, he said, "I'd like that. It was great meeting you guys."

He quickly shook hands with Graham and hugged Anna and Carissa. When he came to Harper, he hugged her and she quietly whispered to him, "I'm glad you were here. Give her time. I know at least some part of her is glad you are here as well."

"Thanks," he replied.

He finally came to her. Emma smiled weakly, overcome with exhaustion and again, her nerves. "Thank you," she signed again for the third time that night. He just looked at her and chuckled a bit as he hugged her, giving her an extra squeeze.

She joined Harper a moment later and they all waved goodbye as they headed their separate ways.

Once home, Emma barely had the energy to ponder all that had happened that night. It had been so full of unexpected things. What was most on her mind was the fact that she had finally spoken a word, out loud, in front of David. He had heard her speak. Her voice, which made her very self-concious. She rarely spoke out loud except to her parents, the gang, Mr. James, and sometimes the kids and parents at the bookstore. She hated how it sounded, even though she had never really heard her own voice. She knew it couldn't, wouldn't ever sound "normal". The times she had used it outside the circle of people she trusted, she'd been the laughing stock of her class when she was in school.

What she couldn't get over was the fact that while they were at the coffee shop and she had spoken, David hadn't had any kind of reaction. He didn't give her a funny look, laugh at her, covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing... Nothing. He'd just...continued to treat her normally. She wasn't sure what to think of that because that wasn't the typical response. Usually once people found out she was partially deaf, they'd make these grand gestures, annunciate their words and yell like she couldn't understand anything. Then once they heard her speak, it was just continuous laughter. David's reaction. Atypical. It was kind and quite frankly, unusual. He really was seeming to be the guy he portrayed in his emails. A genuinely nice guy who also treated her friends well and got along well with them.

Her reaction to all of this: confusion. This led to the obvious choice for what to do the next day: avoid him.

_**DAVID'S HOTEL ROOM**_

David reached his hotel, discovering that he too was quite tired. Between the flight from Arizona to Kentucky, getting to the park, performing, the sudden surprise of seeing Emma, stressing over what to do and what she might be thinking, then joining her and her friends at the coffee shop, he'd had a full day. He quickly changed and brushed his teeth.

As he lay down on the soft comforter and his head hit the pillow, he was pleased with how the day had gone. The highlight of his day, well, highlights of his day had to have been sharing the stage with Emma as they performed "Music of the Night" together, however different their roles may have been and finally...finally hearing this lovely girl speak. He sensed she had been a bit embarrassed upon realizing she had spoken aloud, but he couldn't have been more thrilled. To him, it was a sign that she was becoming more and more at ease with him. He hoped she knew it didn't bother him and she had no reason to be ashamed of her voice or of him hearing her voice. He had never planned on treating her any differently when she finally decided to use her speaking voice around him. It was clear though that she hadn't exactly planned on doing it at just that point. He was ever so glad she had, however, hoping that once she saw he was not going to shun her or laugh at her, that she'd come around even more and begin to trust him. She seemed so beautiful, both inside and out. He hoped he could help ease her worries, her self-consciousness, taking away the grayness that seemed to cloud over her when her frustrations seemed to come to a head. His mind instantly recalled the moments he found her at a piano in the music store, tears streaming down her face as she played. He wished to replace her worries and frustrations with trust. Her tears were way too much for him. As he remembered those moments now, he understood her frustrations that much more with her impairment. Her tears seemed to place a gray cloud over her heart, making it hard for her to see the sun at times and open up her heart and trust many people. He wanted to help do that for her, take away the clouds, provide the sunshine and open up her heart to trust and to live. Sure, she didn't seem to worry too much at the bookstore, the people there knew her and she knew them for the most part, but outside the bookstore, sometimes it seemed like a whole different world. He was optimistic that tonight was just the beginning of that since she had opened up more of herself to him, whether she'd planned on it or not.


	23. Someone to Share With, Someone to Trust

**Chapter 22: Someone to Share It With, Someone to Trust**

Morning came and David awoke to his cell phone ringing. Rubbing a hand across his face to wake himself up a bit, he reached over and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hello there, David," he heard Simon say.

Sitting up slowly, David replied, "Hi, Simon. How are you?"

"I'm quite alright. How did everything go with the Lexington Philharmonic?"

David thought back to the previous night. "It was wonderful, far exceeded my expectations."

"Great, now I know you have a couple days to yourself with the weekend. I just wanted to check in and see if you had a chance to listen to any of those tracks we were going to send you?"

"Working on it. I've listened to a couple and taken a few notes. I need to get through the rest of them though."

"Okay then. Well, if you could send me any of your notes as soon as possible, that'd be great. Just email them to me and I'll forward them on to the producers and we can plan a meeting as soon as this tour ends. By then we will hope to have some of your cover art done as well as a couple of photo shoots set up for the release, some interviews scheduled..."

Simon went on and on about what was in store for him after the tour was done. He knew some of what he was in for before this whole Idol thing began having been in a band before. But dang, going solo, on your own...a whole different ballgame. David was thankful he was at least going to have some time off immediately after the tour. It was becoming clear how much he was going to need the rest, time with family, and some normalcy because he certainly wasn't going to get it come October and right into the Christmas season with the release being in November. After a release came so much press and touring... Everyone was going to want a piece of him, again as if he were meat. Heck, they all wanted a piece of him now as it was on the American Idol tour. And it wasn't that he wasn't grateful and didn't appreciate the media or fans. It was just so...busy, so caught up in itself. So...lonely, especially being the one guy everyone expected to deliver every time. He didn't have a band to vent with, laugh with. Thank goodness for his family. Maybe Andrew would come out on the road with him sometime. Perhaps his mother. Yes, he was a momma's boy. And after all, his mother deserved some fun and attention after all she's been through and the support she'd given him.

Simon interrupted his thoughts...

"Is that okay, David?"

"What? Is what okay?" he asked, trying to cover the fact that his mind had been elsewhere.

"Are you okay with sending me those notes as soon as you finish them?"

"Oh, oh, yeah. Absolutely, Simon," he replied.

"Great. Well, I hope you enjoy the couple days to yourself. I'll be in touch," Simon said.

"Sounds good, Simon. Thanks," David said, knowing Simon was honestly just trying to give David the best opportunities he could find.

"Anytime, kid. Talk to you later."

"Later, Simon," David replied as he pressed "end" on his phone.

He looked over at the clock on the bedside table. 8:30. "Amazing," he thought. "Can't remember the last time that ever happened."

David got up and opened his laptop computer he had brought with him. As the computer started he ran his hands through his already unruly hair. He put in the cd he'd gotten from Simon and his producer, some of the early mixed tracks they'd done. He let it play while he opened his email account and wrote several notes on the songs to Simon. As he minimized the window with the email he was composing, he saw an email from Harper. She must have gotten his email address from Emma somehow.

He opened the email and read it.

Upon finishing, he leaned back in the chair and stretched his arms out. "A cookout in the park, huh? Sounds like a plan to me!" he thought with a smile on his face. He quickly sent the notes on the tracks he'd written thus far to Simon and headed off to the bathroom to get ready.

Several hours later, David had on his KC Royals baseball hat, dark jeans, and a blue t-shirt. He walked back to the park that he'd sung at the previous night. Apparently it was a rather large park because there were also several soccer fields, playgrounds and other areas for grilling.

David had brought hot dog and hamburger buns to contribute to the feast. As he was walking he heard someone call his name.

"David, David over here!"

He looked off to the side. Sure enough, he saw Harper waving her arms, calling out to him. He smiled and made his way over there.

"Hey man," he said to Graham as he set the food down on the table.

"Hey yourself, David," Graham smiled. "Joel is heating up the grill right now, how about we go out there and get a ball game started?"

"You read my mind," David laughed. He looked around at the group. He saw Harper, Graham, Joel at the grill, Anna, Carissa... He turned to Harper, "Where's...Emma?"

Harper tried not to let the question bother her. She didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. She took him by the arm and led him off to the side, "She uh... she um...well. She's not coming." She scrunched up her face hoping he wouldn't be too disappointed.

"Oh," David replied, his tone and demeanor instantly changing, full of disappointment. "She's not? May I ask why not?"

The sad look on his face made Harper want to give Emma a severe verbal lashing for the grief she was causing this man. She sighed. "Well, I'm not quite sure. Remember the night of the concert? I don't know what else to say besides what I told you that night... She just...it's hard for her to trust."

"Hey David," Joel interrupted as he ran by with a ball and mitt, "Got the grill heating up, you coming?"

"On my way," he yelled. He looked back at Harper, expecting her to finish what she was saying.

"Listen, how about we talk a bit later, after lunch?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good." He'd have to settle for that. He had a few questions for Harper regarding Emma since she was her best friend and he just wanted to figure out the best way to, well, be her friend. It was going to be a long, agonizing wait until after lunch. David was determined to enjoy himself, though. As soon as he started throwing the ball around with Joel and Graham, Carissa and Anna joined in the action and he truly enjoyed himself.

**_AFTER LUNCH_**

"Wow, Anna. That was some amazing coleslaw. Dang. Delectable, in fact," David said, wiping his mouth. Between the hamburgers, chips, salad, coleslaw, and cookies, he'd had his fill for lunch.

Joel laughed, "You and your vocab, dude. Hilarious."

"What? Does my unusually large lexicon, my glossary, my slang, my terminology, my nomenclature, my phraseology and vernacular intimidate you?" David jabbed back, purposefully using all of the words that came to his mind.

"Oh yeah. I'm shaking," Joel replied, standing up to take his things over to a nearby trash can.

"Well, regardless of what he says," Anna interjected, giving Joel a sour look, "Thank you, David."

"You're welcome," he replied, still laughing slightly.

"Alright, children, how about we get another game going before this gets out of hand?" Graham asked, tossing a ball in his hands.

"I'm in!" Carissa said.

Graham ran out to the open field with Carissa and Anna following him. Joel followed not too far behind.

"You guys coming?" he asked before running out to the field.

"Maybe. In a bit. We have a few things we need to, um, talk about..." Harper said quietly.

David looked over at Joel, affirming what Harper had told him.

Joel nodded and smiled. Harper had filled him in a bit on the whole David/Emma saga that had started the night of the concert. He felt bad that Emma wasn't there when David had been looking forward to seeing her.

David and Harper both sat on the edge of the picnic table, looking out at everyone else playing ball.

"So. Emma," Harper began.

David sighed. "Yes. Emma," he responded, her image coming to mind quickly, causing him to smile.

"Like I said, David. She's scared. She won't admit to it and her actions would say otherwise that she's just pushing you off, but that's really what it all is about. She's scared. And...as her best friend I want to protect her and be there for her in any way I can. So, I've got to ask...what are your intentions here? Not like here during this trip, but in general...with her? You've got to be careful and I can tell you have tried to be and you've been so patient with her. She needs that. She's really been hurt in the past. I don't think it's necessarily you as a person, David Cook, that she's scared of, it's everything that surrounds you."

David's heart broke as Harper spoke. He knew some of Emma's trials from what she'd shared in early emails.

Harper continued on, hoping Emma wouldn't be upset with her for sharing this. She went on to tell David the story that broke her heart the most for her friend, the story that had scarred Emma back in middle school. She shared the story of how the kids had started calling Emma "death" instead of "deaf" after they'd learned of her impairment and she'd tried using her speaking voice after several speech lessons.

Tears glistened in David's eyes as Harper told the story. "This poor, beautiful, sweet girl," he thought. All he wanted at that moment was to hug Emma. As long as it took, he wanted to hug her until she realized he wasn't leaving, that he wasn't going to hurt her. He wanted to whisper in her ear, write it on paper if he had to, over and over, "Beautiful" hoping to erase that memory from her mind.

He cleared his throat as she finished. "I just want her to know that she can trust me. Her pain and her scars cut me to the core. I understand some of her pain..." He went on to share the story of Adam with Harper.

"I know it isn't quite the same, but Adam and just everything surrounding his illness has taught me so much. I don't take anything for granted, I try to live my life the best way I know how, without regrets. One thing I try to do is surround myself with people who are worth getting to know. From the moment I saw her in the bookstore, I knew she was worth knowing. My fear right now is that I'll regret not getting to know her any further after this. And she's been so open lately in our emails."

Harper was quiet for a few moments. "Final question. Do you know what you want out of all of this, with her?"

David was a bit taken aback by the question. After thinking, he responded, "Someone to talk to. Someone to share things with. Someone who isn't completely into themselves like everyone else in the industry is. I'm sick of feeling so lonely. Don't get me wrong, I have my family with me all the way. My friends...to a certain degree. I try to reach out to people around me, but most of the time...what I get back, is superficial. Emma, she's a breath of fresh air. A girl after my own heart with her love of books. Like I said, she's been relatively open, at least in her emails lately. I just wish it could be the same in person."

Harper shook her head. The man was unbelieveable, pouring his heart out like that, ready to do the same if Emma would just let him. She put her hand on his shoulder as she stood. "Well, I'll talk to her, David. You might need to, you know...force her to listen, understand to some degree. She is a bit stubborn and I think that's also part of this, but I'll give her a good talking to tonight," Harper said with a slight laugh.

David chuckled. "Well... Okay, I guess. Just don't be too harsh, alright?"

"Don't you worry. It kills me seeing what her pain is doing to you as she inadvertently shoves it off on you even though she's scared and probably doesn't realize the half of it."

"Thank you, Harper," he replied. "And would you mind giving her a little note from me?"

"Not a problem."

David sat and scrawled a note quickly, then handed it to Harper who placed it in her bag.

"How about we join them in their little game?" he asked.

"Lead the way," Harper replied with a smile.

_**LATER THAT NIGHT AT HARPER AND EMMA'S**_

Emma hadn't changed all day. She'd basically moped around, not doing much of anything. She'd watched a little tv, read a book, but nothing kept her focus for very long. She knew that was her conscience getting to her, feeling a little bad for not going to the park with everyone else.

She saw Harper appear in her doorway.

"Hi," she said as she walked over to Emma's bed, finally sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

"Hi yourself," Emma said, using her speaking voice.

"How was your day?"

"Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that," Emma replied, non-commitally, a bit purposefully to be a brat. She smiled a bit and then tried to cover it.

Harper smacked her. "You little... I can't believe you wouldn't come today."

Emma didn't know what to say. She simply shrugged.

"Don't give me that. Hang on a minute," Harper replied, reaching for something in her pocket. "This is for you. From David."

Emma reached out hesitantly taking the paper. She looked over at Harper and then opened the note.

_Emma -_

_I wish you could have joined us today, Princess. But fear not, I ate enough for both of us, of this I am sure. Anna makes some dang good food!_

_On to my point. I hope you aren't upset about me being here or about last night. I honestly had no idea you would be there, much less that we would be performing together (how awesome was that, by the way?). Kind of crazy how that ended up. I didn't know if I'd even see you at all while I was here and suddenly...it happened. Well, regardless, I can't say that I'm sad it happened. After all of our emails back and forth lately, it was good to see you again._

_I am hoping from the bottom of my heart that you are doing well and that despite the sudden shock of seeing me again, that you'll consider meeting me for lunch somewhere tomorrow? Nothing serious, but whatever you need to feel comfortable. I hope to see you tomorrow._

_David_

_Word Nerd Royalty_

Emma laughed a bit, reading how he'd signed the note.

"Well, Em. What are you going to do?" Harper asked her, expectantly.

Emma swallowed hard, not saying a word.

Harper was beginning to get frustrated with her lack of decisiveness. "Emma, look at me. You have no idea who disappointed this man was when I told him you weren't coming today. Just hearing it in the tone of his voice, you could tell he was let down."

Emma closed her eyes, not wanting to know any more, feel any worse than she already did.

Harper wasn't going to take that. She reached and turned Emma's face to look at her once again. "I'm not taking any of that. Seriously Em! He's not some middle school monster. Start acting your age, not your shoe size," Harper said, laughing a bit at her last words, ones that had previously been used on immature boys.

Emma laughed as well. "Gee, thanks, Harper."

"Come on now, you're how old? This guy isn't going to hurt you, Em. I can tell. I know he won't. You've got to start treating him better, at least better than you have in person and not avoid him for goodness sake. He said in your emails you had been a little more open lately. Why can't you try that in person? You can trust him, Emma."

Emma's struggle against letting Harper win was starting to slip away. "Harper, it's just so hard for me. You and Anna and Carissa and the guys... You're all I need besides my family and the bookstore. The rest of the world...totally different story. Letting David Cook in my life feels like it'd be letting the rest of the world into my life."

Harper knew it. She understood Emma's hesitation there, but Emma needed to start dealing with what was there now. "I know, I know," she replied. "But, you need to start with the here and now. Hardly anyone knows he's here for the long weekend, so you should be fine. He just wants to spend some time with you, talk to you, be a friend..." Her voice trailed off, knowing she herself hoped for something more than that for both Emma and David after what he had disclosed to her earlier that afternoon. "So. What you're going to do is get your butt out of that bed and email him back to tell him you will see him tomorrow."

Emma rolled her eyes, "I am, am I?"

"Yes. You are," Harper responded firmly.

Emma did feel bad about not being with her friends at the park and honestly, the David she knew from their emails was a good guy, someone who would be a good friend. He was in Lexington unbeknownst to many, which gave her a bit more encouragement.

"Okay, okay. I'll email him," she finally replied.

Harper beamed. "Great," she said. "Fantastic. I know he'll appreciate it."

With that, Emma got up and sent David Cook an email informing him that yes, she would meet him tomorrow for a casual lunch. It made her a bit nervous, thinking about it, but if Harper was telling the truth, he was being sincere with her. Plus, she could always either A: run B: smack him like she had before (though probably not the best choice, she thought) or C: build her wall back up and not respond to a thing. However, deep inside, Emma looked forward to seeing him again. At least this time she wouldn't be as shocked and surprised as she was the previous night. The more she thought about it, she recalled how normal and comfortable she'd been around him when he was just a customer in the bookstore. She quietly hoped for that feeling to come again the next day.


	24. Hearts: His and Hers

**Chapter 23: Hearts: His and Hers**

The next morning began slowly for Emma. As she began her day, she took her time. Perhaps it was her nerves, anxiety, but she was going to take her time prepping for the day in hopes that doing so would help her remain calm.

She walked to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. Once it was made, she poured a cup, adding a bit of sugar and french vanilla cream to it. She walked back to her room and sat in her chair. Emma took her journal from the small round table near the window. After setting the coffee cup on the table, she pulled her legs up into the chair and opened the journal. She spent several minutes frantically writing her thoughts, letting all of her fears flow out onto the paper through the tip of her pen.

A few moments later, she flipped back a few pages, her eyes resting on her list...

_The Clark Gable List_

_- wants to understand me_

_- good listener - looking at me when I speak and then they speak_

_- musician_

_- slow to anger - won't get easily frustrated throughout our relationship_

_- opens doors, pulls chairs out...is a gentleman_

_- good relationship with his family_

_- treats people with respect - I should be able to observe this in different situations_

_- not a party animal_

_- kind heart_

_- compassionate_

_- enjoys kids - interacts well with them_

_- doesn't mind quiet evenings at home_

_- enjoys the arts - a well-rounded individual_

_- willing to learn sign language_

_- teaches me something new - helps me grow_

_- wants to travel_

_- encourages me and allows me to encourage him_

_- giving - of time and self_

_- taller than me - not that that's hard since I'm 5'7"_

_- willing to act like a kid sometimes_

_- enjoys the mountains_

_- can sing or play at least one Frank Sinatra song by heart_

_- can quote (or sign) every line of The Princess Bride_

As she read through it, her heart beat wildly. As she neared the end of the list, she added a few more.

_- has a rather large book collection_

_- eclectic music taste_

_- nice eyes (having to watch people carefully, I know the eyes can say a lot a person cannot)_

_- has impeccable dental hygiene (since I have to watch them speak carefully and all...jagged and crooked is a big no)_

After finishing, Emma's mind began to wander. Musician, check. Good relationship with family, check? Taller than me, check. Willing to act like a kid sometimes, check. Treats people with respect, check. While looking through each of the qualities and characteristics that mattered to her, she suddenly realized she was mentally checking ones off that she thought David possessed. The realization scared her. She hadn't set out to do so, her mind just somehow ended up there, on him. So, she stopped herself. She closed the journal and finished her coffee.

Upon returning the cup to the kitchen, Emma retreated to the bathroom to shower. She dressed and began to work on drying her hair. As she was doing so, she saw the box that held her hearing aids. She began to worry about conversation.

"How am I going to communicate with him?" she asked herself, her nerves picking up again. "Is he expecting me to use sign language or speak? What was I expecting of myself? ASL or my voice?"

After finishing her hair, Emma found her purse and double-checked to make sure she had her wallet, keys, phone, etc. She took one last look in the mirror and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and trying to expel any remaining anxiety. She looked once more at her hearing aids and hesitated. Part of her was embarrassed by them, having to wear them and others know it. That side of her was too proud and embarrassed to wear them. On the other hand, she wondered what David's voice sounded like when he spoke. She didn't really want to know what her voice sounded like though. The thought of it repulsed her and again she wondered what David was expecting from her. Sign language or her off in the distance, sometimes slurred speech? She finally grabbed the box and placed it in her bag, just in case.

_**ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN**_

David headed out the door of the hotel he was staying in with a smile on his face. Getting the email from Emma late last night, he'd hardly slept at all. He was thrilled, to say the least. His heart had leapt as he thought about the fact that she might finally be coming around, willing to be open around him. The sun outside was bright, filling him with even more warmth and excitement. He put on his pair of sunglasses and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He breathed in deeply the summertime air, the scent of freshly cut grass. What was it about summer and the smell of cut grass that comforted people and made them happy? Whatever it was, it was great.

Walking to the cafe he would be meeting Emma at, David couldn't wait to see her. Well, really, he couldn't wait to just be in her presence. It wasn't her looks that necessarily attracted him to her, although she was quite lovely. It was her presence. Being in "the business", he'd come to recognize the importance of a person's presence. Were they there to actually get to know him? Did they have a certain quality about them in their character that emminated from them even when they weren't speaking? Or were they there to do business? Was their interaction with them simply based on surface things and not from the heart? Emma's presence was fresh, sweet, genuine, untainted by the world, full of heart. To David, it seemed with her that what you saw is what you got. In others with their plastic skin, plastic personalities you got just that...a plastic relationship, a plastic friendship that never went more than skin deep. Inward beauty, if it ever made an appearance with those people was nothing David could stomach. Manipulation, deception, a dark, cold heart lied beneath the surface. Emma's inward beauty shined through in her presence. David was so grateful for this.

Finally reaching the cafe, he waited outside and sat on a bench observing the rest of the world. He watched mothers walking their children, pushing strollers, laughing and talking. It reminded him of his nieces and nephews and tugged at his heart as he thought about how much he wanted to be able to have children one day. Business men walked to their noon time lunch meetings with their briefcases and David could only hope they took as much time for themselves and their family to live life as much as they worked.

His eyes shifted to the left and it was at that moment that he saw Emma walking toward the cafe. David jumped up from the bench to greet her.

_**WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK**_

Emma saw him. "Ok, there he is, this is it," she told herself.

As she neared him, he stood to greet her. "Hi," he said with a smile as he looked at her.

Emma smiled in return, slightly uncomfortable, not quite knowing how to greet him. A hug? A handshake? A nod?

He quickly took care of that while she was processing her thoughts because she soon found his arms around her as he gave her a quick hug. Her heart sped up and nerves found their place once again.

"I'm glad you decided to come," he said. "How about we get some sandwiches and we can go sit somewhere outside? It's too nice outside to be inside."

Emma nodded in agreement with a polite smile.

David led the way into the cafe, holding the door for her. "Check?" she thought absentmindedly, then quickly chastised herself for going straight to her list again.

As they stood in line looking at the menu, she was keenly aware that his eyes were on her every now and then. She turned her head and looked over at him. Sure enough, his eyes were on her. He smiled warmly as he looked down at her and then shifted his gaze back to the menu. There seemed to be a kindness and sincerity in his eyes. Emma felt her nerves ease a bit.

After David ordered, Emma stepped up to the counter and the woman at the cash register smiled at her, nodding her head towards David as her eyebrows lifted, asking her a question without words. Emma shook her head and laughed a bit. Angie was about forty-seven years old and the owner of the sandwich shop they were in. Emma frequented the shop when she didn't bring a lunch from home and Angie had become something of a mentor and friend to her. Emma knew what Angie was up to, wondering what she was doing with David Cook. Emma shrugged in response to which Angie in turn shook her head back at Emma's non-commital response.

"Your usual, my dear?" she asked.

Emma gave her a thumbs up and nodded. Her mouth watered knowing what was coming, a tomato and pesto grilled chicken sandwich with mozzarella.

After their sandwiches were made, Emma stepped up to pay Angie, but David stopped her. She had put her card out to give Angie, now David's hand covered hers. She recoiled a bit on the inside at his touch and looked up at him.

He was looking at her, again with a smile on his face. Shaking his head, he stated, "Not necessary. Not happening."

He finally removed his hand from hers and she stepped back, a slightly pink color rising to her cheeks. Embarrassment? Yes. Twisted knots in her stomach from his action? You bet.

After David paid, she took the two drinks and led the way to the door while he held the bag with their sandwiches. She pushed the door open and behind her David reached up to hold it open as she walked out. As they crossed the street, David moved to walk beside her and she noted his left hand is nowhere to be seen. Instead, she feels the slight touch of his hand at the small of her back, almost as if he were protectively leading her safely across the street. Looking down at the pavement as they walked, Emma felt her cheeks becoming flush again.

They soon found a bench and sat down. David handed her a napkin and her sandwich. Taking his own out of the bag, he spoke to her.

"I'm really glad you decided to join me today, Emma." A small smile spread across her face and he continued, "I know... I know it's not easy for you to trust people and open up in front of them, but I sincerely hope you feel comfortable and safe being yourself in front of me." He paused and then added, "In person, that is. I've really loved our email conversations as of late and would really enjoy being able to have the same kind of conversation in person. You honestly have no idea how much I miss normal, intelligent conversation like that." He laughed at his last comment and took a bite of his sandwich.

Emma had barely touched hers and was instead focused on David. She deeply appreciated David's sincerity in starting the conversation and at the same time intimidated her a bit as if she were being held to a high standard and that he expected a lot from the conversation.

"It's okay, you know," he began, looking directly at her, "It's okay to use your speaking voice around me. I promise." It was almost as if he sensed her intimidation.

He held her gaze for a moment and when he finally looked away and took a bite of his sandwich, Emma suddenly felt her nerves disappearing and her confidence building up again. He had looked right at her when he'd said those magic words. "It's okay... I promise."

"Maybe it will be okay," she thought to herself. "And you know, it isn't half bad. Watching him speak really isn't a hard thing to do." Looking at him again, she thought, "He is pretty good looking."

She laughed at herself and then said aloud in response to his promise, "Okay."

_**FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BENCH**_

You know how they say that the most beautiful sound in the world to a mother is the laugh of her own baby? David had just heard the most beautiful sound in the world that he could have ever hoped to hear. Emma's voice. She had said, "Okay." It was more than okay! David was thrilled. Perhaps he had finally helped put her at ease.

Taking her lead, he began their conversation. "So how was it conducting an orchestra? Having that kind of power?"

Emma smiled, recalling the podium, the vibrations under her bare feet as she led the orchestra in playing "Music of the Night". "It was...intense," she replied. "I don't think there is a better word to describe it. Unforgettable, powerful, moving, an experience."

David nodded. "Intense. I like that description. And might I say that the conductor made the singer's job quite easy. I don't think I've ever sung that song and felt it's power like I did that night. It was, indeed, intense."

Emma blushed ever so slightly and replied, "Thank you. You sang phenomenally."

David was taken aback by her comment and stopped chewing his sandwich to look at her. "Wait, what?"

"You sang phenomenally," she said again. "From what I could tell."

He swallowed hard. "You...you heard?"

Emma laughed a little. "I'm partially deaf," she replied. "Not completely deaf. And I was on a stage with some huge speakers all around me. I can hear your voice a bit right now, , but on that stage having the speakers, I could hear a bit. It was still muffled and fuzzy, but I did hear some of it."

David didn't know how to respond. He thought back to that night and remembered how he had sung his heart out, almost as his way of calling out to her. Now knowing she had actually heard him, however muffled it may have been, it was his turn to be a little embarrassed.

"Wow, thank you," he replied. "So I have a question. You work in a bookstore, yet you play the piano and can conduct an orchestra. How did you get into music?"

Emma proceeded to tell him about her childhood. He learned about her elementary school music teacher, Ms. Maninov. He loved the story, hearing about the teacher taking her to the orchestra one evening with her parents. He loved how she would close her eyes and smile as she recalled each song she had heard that night. He was amazed. That had been more than ten years ago. Clearly it was a milestone in her life, something significant to her. It was significant to him as well. If not for her blossoming love for music at that age, who knows if he ever would have met her? He concocted a plan in his mind to somehow, someday thank Ms. Maninov.

"She sounds like a wonderful person," David said in response to her story about Ms. Maninov.

Emma nodded. "Oh she is. She's still teaching music at the school today. I visit her every now and then."

"I'd love to meet someone who inspires her students to further their love and talents in music."

"How about you? How did you get into music?" Emma asked.

David told her of his childhood, being surrounded by music at home and life kind of brought music to him. He spoke candidly about Axium and the Midwest Kings and his days bartending and playing. As he spoke, he noted her reactions to his words. She was engaged in the conversation, attentively watching him speak and alternately responding. He couldn't have been happier anywhere else in this moment.

"What will your album be like when you finally get it out to the public?" she asked him, genuinely curious and interested in his music.

"I'm really looking forward to it. We're working on some notes and early mixes right now. The content... I don't know. My music relates to my life," he replied, leaning back against the bench and balling up the paper from his sandwich.

Finishing a mouth full, Emma asked, "Is it a lot of things you've written before or a lot of new stuff?"

"A mix, I guess. There are some songs that I wrote before this whole Idol thing that really mean a lot to me that I hope to have on there, maybe a cover or two, and some new, inspired material," he responded, hesitating with his last words since some of his inspiration for a new song had come from her. He didn't want to overwhelm and scare her though and thus kept his words to a minimum. "I have a couple songs I wrote about everything that happened when Adam was diagnosed and what I've learned because of it. There's a lot of really personal stuff in my music." He laughed. "You know how girls have their journals and diaries?"

Emma nodded, a smile quickly coming to her as she was probably guessing where he was headed with this.

"Well, my "diary", my "journal"," he said making quotation marks with his fingers, "is my music."

He watched her laugh. She closed her eyes and her face scrunched up as she shook her head and laughed. It was a pure, simple, honest to goodness, healthy laugh. "Another beautiful sound," he thought. "Music to my ears."

"Who is your favorite artist? Who influences you musically?" she asked.

Pausing to consider the question for a moment, he finally responded, "Our Lady Peace is probably one of my biggest influences. How about you? Who do you like in music?" He carefully worded his question, afraid of somehow offending her if she asked about listening to music.

She seemed all too eager to answer. "I love all kinds. I have to say though, I might have been born in the wrong decade. I love Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday..."

"Ah, the days of the Rat Pack," he responded, nodding in agreement. "That was good stuff." He began to snap his fingers and sing a few bars of one of the songs Sinatra had recorded, "Come Fly with Me".

_Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away_

_If you can use some exotic booze_

_There's a bar in far Bombay_

_Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away_

_Come fly with me, let's float down to Peru_

_In Llama land, there's a one man band_

_And he'll toot his flute for you_

_Come fly with me, let's take off in the blue_

He stopped there and they both laughed. "Gotta love it," Emma said. "They don't make music like that anymore."

"Nope," David replied. "But I can sure try!"

They continued their conversation, discussing their families and how David was already trying to teach his nieces and nephews how to play guitar. As they talked, he loved watching her mannerisms. He noticed her hands fidgeting, always moving in her lap as she spoke and moved her hands or listened or ate her food. He could tell she was nervous. He found it endearing. He noticed that when the sun shone through the leaves and branches of the trees, her brown hair had a golden red-ish tint to it. He loved how her face would scrunch up when she laughed. Nope, it definitely wasn't hard to have to look at Emma. He was more than willing to oblige so that she could understand him and he could understand her. That was all he ever wanted out of this. Understanding and hope.

As she was finishing her sandwich, a bit of sauce plopped into Emma's lap. She laughed at herself and David handed her a napkin.

"I'm such a klutz," she said, taking the napkin to wipe the mess up.

"No more than I, nerd that I am. By far, you're more graceful than I, princess," he stated, full of heartfelt sentimentality.

***SNAP***

At that moment he heard them and began to look around.

***CLICK***

The clicking sound of a camera. His heart began to race. It was the paparazzi. He knew it. He heard another click and turned quickly. Sure enough, behind one of the trees near the bench there was not just one, but two of them. On the other side, a couple more.

David closed his eyes. This was what he feared would happen. He'd thought no one knew where he was this weekend. He looked over at Emma, afraid of what her reaction might be.

She looked stunned, stiffened in her posture as she noticed what was going on around her. She stood up slowly, her sandwich slipping from her grip and the paper falling to the ground.

David didn't know what to do or where to start. He wanted to pound the paparazzi into the ground, but he also wanted to make sure Emma didn't just walk away from him. He feared that would be her reaction.

Looking up at her again, she appeared horrified as she looked around. He heard the clicks behind him as the scum of the earth snapped pictures. His heart felt like it was being squeezed as he tried to push himself into action. He reached out to touch her arm. "Emma, I..."

He didn't have time to finish. She'd moved out of the reach of his grasp. She looked over at him, her eyes wide with confusion...embarrassment...fear. And then...she ran. She ran away from him. Away from them.

David pounded the seat next to him with is fist, trying to control his anger. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to chase after Emma. But, he didn't. He didn't want to scare her even more. He stood from the bench and was suddenly surrounded.

"Who is she, David?" "What are you doing here this weekend?" "How do you know her?" "How is the tour going?" "How is Adam?" "Are you dating her?"

The questions began at rapid fire. He didn't respond to them. "I have no comment" he replied. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go." He walked around them and away from their questions and their eyes that looked so ravenous they could devour a person if they stepped close enough into their circle.

David made his way down the sidewalk, reliving what had just happened and thankful he didn't hear any footsteps or clicks of cameras behind him. The one vision he kept seeing as he walked was Emma, running away from him. Again. That was the second time she'd run from him and it broke his heart. Just when he thought they may have been making progress, it was all taken away with the snap of a camera shutter. Truth be told, this was exactly what he feared would happen. Worst case scenario. Lo and behold, his fear had held a good base.

She'd run from him. Twist those words around and you'd get what he truly wanted to happen. Run TO him. Not FROM him. Seeing Emma run from him, he wondered if she'd ever speak to him again, if she wondered if he knew they'd show up... He had to do something, but he didn't know what...or how. Trust came hard for her and now she probably wouldn't trust him at all.

David made his way back to his hotel. Once inside his room, he closed the door and turned around. With his back against the door, he slid down to the floor. Lightly banging the back of his head on the door several times, he mumbled to himself, "What have I done? What have I done?" His princess...well, the person he wished to be his princess to save him from the monotony and plastic life in the industry had run away from him and in the process, both of their hearts had been broken. His for inadvertently hurting her and her heart for thinking she could begin to trust him.


	25. Keeping Pace Through the Tears

**Chapter 24: Keeping Pace Through the Tears**

Emma kept up her speed, running down the sidewalk. For a brief moment, she was thankful for being partially deaf...not having to hear if David was calling after her or if he was following her. That was scary all at the same time... Can you imagine it? Walking down the street and someone taps you on the shoulder, bumps into you, could easily grab you from behind and not know it... Precisely why if she ever went out at night, it was with someone else.

Keeping her pace, she made it back home, breathless with her chest heaving as she tried to withhold her sobs until inside.

When she entered the loft, Harper was in the living room pecking away at her laptop. She looked up upon hearing the door open and then saw Emma in the doorway from the kitchen to the living area.

Emma was pale. The natural color that usually warmed her cheeks and skin was gone. There was a hint of redness around her eyes, but what truly gave her away were the sobs that had now begun to escape her while she grasped for air. It was as if she were sucking in life itself while inside she felt she was dying, thinking she'd been betrayed, used, yet again.

"Emma...?" Harper's question lingered in the air. Harper quickly set her computer down and stood as Emma walked by as quickly as she'd appeared.

Making her way to Emma's room, the door was open a crack, but she withheld herself from entering to respect Emma's privacy. She stood there for a good five minutes listening to Emma's cries. It was heart wrenching. She'd seen Emma get hurt but find a way to rebound many times. This seemed different though for some reason. The sobs sounded so forceful that they seemed to rack through her body. From the look she'd received right before Emma had gone to her room, it was clear she didn't want company right now. Harper couldn't help herself though. She had to check on her dear friend.

Holding the door handle, she opened the door only enough to stick her head in the room. She saw Emma sitting on her bed (if you could call it that), her knees pulled to your chest and having your arms wrapped tightly around them while her head rested somewhat on her knees as if she were bracing herself for the frightfully upsetting and forceful tears. There were several kleenex strewn about with the box beside her.

Emma looked up briefly to grab a kleenex and noted Harper standing in the doorway. Her friend looked heartbroken for her. Emma felt bad for a moment as she hadn't said a word to Harper yet, but she couldn't bring herself to the point of composing herself yet. She simply shook her head at Harper's questioning eyes and quickly tapped her wrist as if to tell her, "Later."

Harper closed the door and left Emma to weep and sort things out, respecting her friend's wishes.

Emma kept herself in her room for the better part of an hour going through the motions and feeling it all - hate, anger, bitterness, loneliness, disgust, sadness, loss, betrayal, love, disappointment - towards herself, the horrible paparazzi, and while she felt guilty about it afterwards, David and even Harper. She thought herself a fool.

About an hour and a half later, she saw Harper peek in the room again. This time, she nodded. Harper padded over to the bed, her arm instinctively going to Emma's back as she began to rub it.

As she did so, she asked, "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

At her words as if on cue, Emma burst into tears again. She nodded as they streamed down her face.

A few moments later, speaking aloud through her tears, she began, "Yes... But not physically." Her heart hurt as she added in a whisper, "I told you..."

Harper let out a soft gasp as her eyes glazed over as if in shock, hoping Emma was not going to inform her of what she was afraid she was about to hear, what she'd told Emma would never happen.

Gaining her composure once again, Emma finally explained to Harper what happened during her lunch with David. As she heard it, Harper couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for pushing Emma so much. It stung her to hear what happened with the paparazzi, another dismal experience for her friend. And yet, something inside Harper knew that this wasn't a complete story. Emma had simply left David. Surely he hadn't set her up. And quite honestly, Harper knew more about the situation than even Emma knew...right?

After spending a few moments comforting her friend, Emma finally decided she was going to take a nice hot bath to soothe her nerves. Harper left and headed back to the living room.

**_BACK AT THE PARK_**

David had left the park after the horrific incident with Emma, himself, and the paparazzi. He'd been furious and heartbroken at the time. He headed back to his hotel room instead of going after Emma because...well, because... He wasn't sure. He knew she was scared out of her wits by the paparazzi and he didn't want her to now associate him with the flashing, intruding lights. Far from it, he wanted to be the cause of flashing lights and moments in her life.

Now that it was several hours later and thankful that the pap hadn't followed him to his hotel, David cautiously made his way outside again. He walked back to the park.

He couldn't sit though, on the bench he'd sat on with her. Instead, he found himself pacing and as he did when he was upset or nervous, he ran his hands through his hair over and over, except now, he was almost pulling at it in his anger. He paced back and forth, around and around on no particular path. Fire still burned inside of him. He was furious with himself. He'd known how fragile she was, he realized how hard it must have been for her to even consider meeting him. She'd opened up in conversation, blessing and washing his soul by using her voice. And here he was, mad at himself. He should have known better, should have thought ahead of time in suggesting they meet outdoors. He was foolish to think that "no one" supposedly knew where he was. He should have... He should have... So many "I should have's..." ran though his mind. The fact of the matter was... He hadn't. He hadn't protected her like he could have...should have...will.

As he walked, he noticed a small, clear box on the ground near a tree. He bent to pick it up. "Cochlear" it read on top. "Left" and "Right" were written below it as two small pieces lay on a black pillow inside the box. His heartbeat quickened and he felt a mixture of hope and despair rise within him as he flipped it over.

_Emma Lane_

_2456 Ross St._

_Lexington, KY 40502_

David brought his hand to cover his mouth as he contemplated what he had found. What was this? A sign? A sign that he should go after her? A sign of the pain he'd caused her? Hope? He began to pace again as he thought about it while he absentmindedly ran his thumb across the label with her name and address on it.

Would it be a smart choice to go see her now? Probably not, he ventured a guess. He considered it even more, searching within himself for all the reasons he should give her space and not go now. He finally came to one resounding conclusion.

It may not be a smart decision by any means, but...he would most certainly regret it if he did not go to her.


	26. Anguish

**Chapter 25: Anguish**

It was early evening, around seven o'clock as David made his way down the sidewalk. He'd carefully taken the box he'd found in the park, the box containing what he assumed were Emma's hearing aids, back to his hotel. He had punched in the address on Google Maps and was now following those directions to the loft she and Harper shared.

When he'd found the small box, seen it's contents, and the owner, he hadn't been sure what to think. Questions plagued him. Why had she brought them? Why didn't she just wear them? Did they make her self-conscious? Had she ever worn them before in his presence? Had she actually heard him singing the night of the Philharmonic concert? As he pondered these questions further, he knew the answer to these questions were a true mix of "yes" and "no" answers, some for reasons he'd understand (they would make HIM self-conscious) and others he would not.

To tell you the truth, he was...stunned to find them. Emma was so normal in the way she carried on with others she knew. She wasn't completely deaf, only partially. And yet she denied herself the full capacity to hear sound, or a better chance of it, by not wearing the hearing aids. On the other hand, she had been hurt so much as a child for being "different" that it no doubt had an impact on her life now as an adult as she was no forcing herself to live as "normal" a life as possible. Unfortunately, it seemed that that meant she wouldn't use the hearing aids for the sake of appearing normal to the rest of the world.

"Stupid kids," David thought. "If kids only knew the impact they would have on those they picked on in later years, sometimes scarring them for life."

It baffled him and at the same time didn't surprise him. She did seem a bit on the stubborn side. He smiled at the thought as he approached the building Harper and Emma lived in.

Once he entered the building, he walked up the staircase. Before knocking on the door, David looked down once more at the small clear box at the label with Emma's name. Holding it in his hand and bringing it up to eye level, he refocused himself and reminded himself of why he'd come. Not just to return this box, although it was half of a good excuse, he had to see her, had to apologize to her, had to somehow help her understand that what happened...he simply had no idea that the paparazzi were going to show up. A hard case to plead to such a fragile person, but David knew he had to try.

Almost as if it were a good luck charm, David brought the small box to his lips and kissed it. "I have to explain, Princess," he whispered.

He then raised his hand and knocked on the door. He took a deep breath as he waited, not knowing whose face he would see on as it opened. An unassuming Harper? A red-eyed, hurt Emma? It pained David to consider that possibility.

Just then, the door opened slightly. The chain lock on the other side of the door stretched out and David saw Harper. Her face was solemn, her expression unreadable.

"David?" she said quietly. "What are you doing here?"

The tone of Harper's voice said so much to him. He saw in Harper's expression and tone the weight of the burden she was now carrying, that she'd heard what had happened from Emma.

David closed his eyes, regaining his composure. "Um, I...we...can..."

"We need to talk," they both said at the same time.

David smiled slightly and Harper nodded her head as she moved the lock and let David in.

The inside of the loft was a bright mix of colors. He entered through a small entry way and into the kitchen. The walls were a dark red color with white accents. It wasn't too small, but it wasn't gigantic either. It seemed perfect for Harper and Emma.

"Please, make yourself at home," Harper said as she pointed to a chair for him to sit in. "Can I make you some tea?"

"Sure. That would be nice. Heaven knows I need to calm down a bit," he replied before taking a seat.

They remained quiet as Harper prepared the tea. David sat at the table, running his hands through his hair as he tried to figure out how to explain everything to Harper.

A few moments later, he was brought back to the present as Harper sat a cup of steaming tea in front of him.

"Thank you," he said.

She sat down across from him, still saying nothing. David didn't know where to begin and he sat staring into his cup of tea, stirring it mindlessly.

Suddenly Harper reached over and began to pull his cup away from him. "David," she began, "Why?" Her voice broke slightly as she continued, "What on earth happened?"

Just the question he needed. "Why?" There was no why or because. There was only "I'm sorry" and "I didn't know".

David carefully recounted the events from earlier in the day. He surprised both himself and Harper when he suddenly became emotional as he told her of Emma's reaction, how much that pained him, and how he wished the paparazzi had never shown up.

He began apologizing profusely to Harper knowing that she too was hurt and carrying a weight for her friend. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know... I didn't know..."

Harper couldn't believe she was seeing this man in such a state of distress. There was no way his actions and words were those of someone who had just betrayed her best friend, her roommate.

She reached over and placed her hand on his arm. David finally looked up. "Oh David... I'm sorry too. I just... I don't know what to tell you..."

Her face was troubled. David knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"I need to see her," he replied, composing himself, now with a resolute purpose.

"Oh...I..." Harper began.

"No, please. I need to see her. I need to apologize to her. Please," he begged of her, realizing he didn't even know if she was there.

"Wait... How did you know where we...?" she began to ask him.

Before she could finish, he reached into his pocket and showed her the box containing Emma's hearing aids.

"Oh my..." she replied, almost shocked.

"What?" David asked, wondering if he should be worried.

"Nothing, it's just... She never... She never brings those out," Harper told him.

Neither of them said anything for a moment.

"Oh," David replied. "Well, I thought I'd return them to her as well."

Harper nodded. "I'll go see if I can find her."

David quickly stood and hugged Harper. "Thank you," he said. "You have no idea how much this means to me. I know this probably hasn't been the easiest thing for you."

Harper gave him a small smile. "You're welcome. I know you wouldn't hurt her. Intentionally." She then turned and walked out of the room.

David's heart pounded in his chest as he paced the kitchen, rolling the box over and over in his hand. He thought back to the surprise he'd heard in Harper's voice when he'd shown her the hearing aid box. Clearly it meant something that Emma had even brought it with her. His heart dared to leap to consider the idea that she may truly have been on her way (and he hoped she still would be after this mess) to trusting him and feeling comfortable enough with him to wear them. His mind wandered as he pondered what things he would love to say to her or the sounds he'd love to have her hear when she wasn't simply reading lips or hearing a distant fuzzy noise, but a clear tone.

Unfortunately, when Harper made her way to the bathroom where Emma had been for most of the afternoon, she found Emma was not there.

_**MEANWHILE A FEW DOORS AWAY DOWN THE HALL...**_

Emma sat in the tub hoping the water and bubbles would soak away her worries, stress, troubles, aches, and hurts. She'd spent the better part of the early evening there in the bathroom surrounded by her favorite candle scent, white zinfandel and a book to help her escape. She knew it was only a temporary fix, but it was better than the alternative.

She reached for her watch to check the time. 7:24pm. She knew she needed to eat something. Then perhaps she'd just go to bed early this evening. What better way to live in denial than eat, sleep, work, repeat over and over and ignore today like it never happened? What was that Switchfoot lyric? Something about live like today never happened before? Sure, she could do that. It'd certainly help to be rid of the pain.

Emma shook her head and got out of the bathtub. She couldn't think about what happened anymore or she'd end up exactly as she was earlier and what she was earlier was a mess. She grabbed her robe and decided she'd make her way to the kitchen for some chamomile tea to take to her room.

She walked carefully and quietly down the small hallway and rounded the corner into the kitchen. She instinctively turned towards the cabinets beside the sink, unaware of the presence of another person in the room. With a cup in her hand, she turned toward the stove.

It was then that she noticed someone else was there in the kitchen with her. Her eyes widened like saucers. She froze. "Oh no... Not David. Not David."

But yes, it was David. She almost dropped the mug in her hands. She spun on her heel quickly trying to make her exit as if she'd never been there and hadn't been seen.

However, it was too late. He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him so she could understand him. "No... Wait. Please," he begged as he compelled her to stay, his expression quite different from the usual smile it held. In its place was one of anguish, just as hers was and had been most of the day.


	27. Doom and Gloom

**Chapter 26: Doom and Gloom**

Emma froze in place. Her breath caught in her throat and she didn't move, she stood there unable to bring herself back into motion as he gripped her arm. Her gaze was averted in a direction other than looking at him. She'd rather look anywhere but at him, to look at him would mean it would all come back. No more tears, she was over it. She didn't have any more to give.

He didn't move either. His hand remained on her arm, as if he were waiting for her to react somehow. He was in for a surprise. There was going to be no reaction. Ok, well, maybe as she contemplated her next move in her mind, she swallowed hard, hoping he'd somehow get the point. She kept her eyes on the wall space between the counter and the cupboards above, void of expression.

She felt his eyes on her and yet he made no movement. The thought was all too quickly erased as he reached around her for her hands. Emma jumped back at his attempt to keep her there, continuing her agony.

His hands held hers tightly, not hurting her, but enough that she couldn't just slip her hands out of his in an effort to escape. She fought tears again, closing her eyes and turning her gaze downward.

Apparently he was going to have none of that because he crouched down and gently in one swift action took both of her small hands into one of his, still holding her captive in the kitchen. With his other hand, he slowly reached up to push her hair back from her face in a new attempt to get her to look at him.

As he looked up at her, Emma kept her eyes void of expression, pretending to focus on the vase of flowers on the table behind him. It wasn't working well. As she tried to avoid really seeing his face and his expression, it was hard not to read the impassioned pleas coming from his lips and sincerity flowing from his eyes. Emma bit her lip to keep it from quivering, to maintain her non-reactive front.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I am so sorry..." he kept repeating. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I swear to you. I didn't know..."

He continued on for some time repeating these words over and over waiting for her to react in some small way.

All the while, Emma thought she deserved some kind of award for remaining solid, not reacting. Unfortunately that award will go to someone else on another day. At some point, Emma's eyes started to water. She did not notice as she tried to keep from breaking down by focusing all of her strength and energy on and counting the petals of the flowers in the vase. Eventually she was crying, still denying the situation. She was still counting petals, she was NOT crying. She hadn't even blinked. How could she be crying?

**_FROM THE OTHER SIDE_**

David held Emma's hands in his looking up at her from his vantage point near the floor where he was crouched down so he could see her face, so she could see his...see...hear his apology, the truth. All he saw was an empty shell of who he knew she truly was. He didn't know if he was getting through to her at all.

"Emma, please...believe me. I would never..." his voice trailed off as he slowly, cautiously brought her hands to his lips to lightly kiss them. "I'm so sorry..."

It was a few moments later that he noticed her cheeks were glistening. She was crying. She was reacting. She was reacting and her reaction broke him from the inside out.

He suddenly let her hands go and she shrunk away from him. "Oh God... I am sorry, Emma. Oh God. I never..." David slid down to the floor, his chest heaving as he grasped for air to be pushed into his lungs. It didn't seem to come fast enough. His head was pounding.

"What did I do? Oh God. I never meant for this to happen. I'm so sorry... I'm such an idiot," he repeated.

David did not notice Emma leave the kitchen. He couldn't blame her. He'd made her cry. He hated seeing girls cry, especially this one. And to have been the cause of her pain? Unbearable. Irresponsible. Unforgivable. Now to have been trying to hold her somewhere against her will, hurting her even more... He felt sick. Sick because it was in his presence she did not want to be.

Tears now stained his face as well.

Harper came running into the kitchen and upon seeing David, dropped to her knees beside him.

"David!" she yelled at him in a desperate tone. "David! David Cook, look at me. Stop it! Stop! You're scaring me! Look at me," she begged him, finally moving her hands behind his head. He was going to start bleeding if she didn't stop him.

"David! You've got to stop! Banging your head against the cabinet isn't going to help. You keep it up and you'll be bleeding if you hit it in the wrong spot," she said, looking him in the eye.

He stopped and stared at her, his eyes looking hopeless.

"David... What happened? You're scaring me, imagine what you're doing to Emma? Banging your head like that with such force? It's not going to help, David. Please."

David stopped and leaned his head back up against the wood of the cupboard.

After a few moments, Harper finally spoke. "Now, please, tell me what happened?"

David didn't say anything at first. He tried to calm himself before proceeding.

"I...I hurt her, Harper... I hurt her..." he stated simply as he turned to look Emma's closest, dearest friend in the eyes. It pained him to say it, to admit it.

Harper quietly backed herself up to the cupboard next to him. What was the right thing to say to a man who was honest to the core, not at fault in this situation that would make him feel better and yet aid her friend?

"It'll be alright, David. It will be alright," she replied. "I'm sorry you're hurting and I'm... I'm sorry that Emma is hurting." At her words, David finally let a tear escape. The earlier physical pain had made it impossible for tears to come. Harper didn't know what to do, so she simply sat there, still rubbing and patting his back trying to reassure him and comfort him.

David shook his head fiercely, "I'll never be able to forgive myself."

At those words Harper turned sharply and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "You look at me David Cook. I do not ever want to hear those words again in relation to this incident. You know just as well as I do this was not your doing. Timing...it just wasn't on your side earlier today. And unfortunately, the past sticks with Emma in a way it doesn't for others. Other kids can get over their middle school and high school troubles. Emma's are forever with her in her memory. We just... We just have to help her let them go, somehow."

Harper pulled herself up off the floor and offered David a hand up. He leaned against the counter.

"David, I think..." she began, but he interrupted her.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "I'm leaving. Tomorrow!" he finished with a sense of urgency.

Harper's expression became a bit more clouded at hearing that news. Unable to look at him, knowing what she was going to say would not make him happy, she continued, "David, I know you're not going to like hearing this. At all. I know it's not what you want to hear, but...maybe that is for the best right now." Finally looking up at him, she winced slightly...knowing she'd see a pained expression.

The idea was incredulous, he thought. "I'm sorry, what?"

"No, wait. I mean, you are both highly emotional right now, both feeling very impacted by what happened for both very different reasons and some of the same reasons. I don't think seeing each other again right now would be the very best thing, you know? It might just...make things worse."

David swallowed hard. He pondered what she said and knew somewhere deep inside she was right. But to just leave? He HAD to apologize. And he had to do it in a sensible way, not the irrational nonsense of a few moments ago. A real man takes responsibility for the situation and rectifies it… Somehow.

She continued, interrupting his thoughts, "Take some time... She needs to get over this. Between being so stubborn and having the world look at her like a second class citizen, this one was like a swift kick to her gut and her sense of self. It's going to take her some time. And please, David, please believe me when I say that I don't think she truly blames this on you. You were just...there and sadly in this world, lots of people "befriend" her for a laugh later on. It's disgusting," she paused, noting David's hands were now balled into fists. "I know you never would... She just needs time to regain a clear perspective...to move on. She's had stuff similar to this happen to her in the past sadly, but trust me, she does bounce back. Once she has time, she doesn't let the world win. She'll slowly realize that there is no way they could have been focusing all of their attention on her. In certain public situations she sometimes tends to think that everyone immediately knows about the impairment and that they are judging her. She just has these...phases she rolls though to get there, to get to the point where she's ready to move on. It sucks, I know, but...it's part of her process."

David nodded his head slightly. "Ok. Well, maybe that is what I need. To forgive myself. I guess it's what we both need. God knows I want whatever is best for her. I suppose I'm not the best at being patient though," he smiled slightly, a glimmer of hope finally coming back to his eyes. "No time like the present to learn and earn some, I guess. It's certainly not going to be easy, though."

Harper smiled, "I know."

David sighed, cleansing himself of the depressing earlier thoughts. "Thank you, Harper. I don't know how both of us would have survived this without you."

"I do what I can and what I can do is encourage you both. Something is there, David. It's there. It just needs time. Don't give up hope," she replied.

David stepped forward to hug Harper. "I'm no quitter and I never let go and give up hope when it comes to the people I care about. Thank you, again," he said as he squeezed her in a big bear hug.

"Good. Now, I will talk to you soon, Mr. Rock Star Cook. Believe you me... We will see each other again," Harper stated with sheer confidence in the future of the situation as she walked him to the door.

"I look forward to it with great anticipation," David replied as he walked out the door, a tired smile spread across his face.


	28. Business

****This is where I kind of got stuck...after this chapter... Thoughts, insights, feedback, ideas are all welcome. Hope you've enjoyed thus far.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27: Business<strong>

_**The next morning...**_

David awoke the next morning to find Michael and Arch shoving their things in their bags in a rush.

He sat up slowly. "What's going on?"

"You know what time it is, mate?" Michael asked with a slight chuckle. "We gotta get going."

"Yeah, we were trying to do you a favor by letting you sleep in a bit, you looked totally beat when you returned yesterday," David A. offered with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, thanks," David responded. "You have no idea..." he mumbled under his breath.

As he was gathering what he needed to make it to the shower, his phone buzzed.

"Cook here," he answered after fumbling with the phone.

"Where are you guys? Get down here! Jim is getting pissed waiting for you," he heard Carly yelp at him in her brogue.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, yes, mother. We're coming."

"Can it, Cook or you'll pay later," she replied.

"Yes, dear..." he said as he hung up.

Friends. At least they would help distract him...keep him distracted for the time being.

Just as he'd hung up on Carly, his phone alerted him that he had an incoming text message. Fuller.

We need to talk. Call me from the road. ASAP.

Yes. Friends and business. That's enough to lose yourself for a while, right?

_**On the other side of town...**_

As Emma readied herself for work, she tried to make the redness around her eyes disappear with concealer. It wasn't working very well. Why couldn't someone come up with a makeup magic eraser that REALLY worked? It'd be nice to erase the traces of the previous evening, as if it'd never happened.

Thirty minutes later, she finally gave up, deciding she'd avoid mirrors all day.

After grabbing a folder from her desk, she headed off to the bookstore.

A busy time of year was descending upon the store. Right before the holiday rush. Inventory had to be done, displays had to be thought up, orders had to be put in for hundreds of books. Emma was thrilled. A busy mind was better than an idle mind, especially with the way things were going.


	29. Little Sparrow

Got inspired again, so here we are. First chapter I've written in probably two years for this story. I hope it continues to flow well. I've got a good outline for the next chapter and I'm excited about it. A few hints: a video email, Lindsey Rose, vacations and surprises. Kind of. And some Declaration. Please continue to R&R. The responses are encouraging and your thoughts and feedback help me ponder where to go next.

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><p><strong>Chapter 28: Little Sparrow<strong>

_Little sparrow, little sparrow_

_Precious fragile little thing_

_Little sparrow, little sparrow_

_Flies so high and feels no pain_

_All ye maidens fair and tender_

_Never trust the hearts of men_

_They will crush you like a sparrow_

_Leaving you to never mend_

_Little sparrow, little sparrow_

_Oh the sorrow never ends…_

He ended the song on a hauntingly beautiful, quiet note. The crowd applauded his cover of Dolly Parton's song. It had been one of his favorites to arrange – I mean who would have thought of it? A guy singing this song. At this moment though, this day, this last week…it'd been almost like a guilt trip each time he performed. How ironic he's singing about not trusting men?

"If the shoe fits, I guess," he thought to himself when he walked off stage to change for the finale. You've got the two characters there – her the fair and tender maiden, the little sparrow and him the man who crushes hearts. Funny how he wanted to help end her sorrow and how he's become the cause of more of it.

"Hey, wrong way, David," Jason yelled over at him, bringing him back to the present and pointing back toward the stage. "Got your head in the game tonight? One more and we're done for the night."

David shook his head, running his hands over his face in an effort to get back into the moment. He hadn't even noticed someone slipping his guitar over his head and the hat in his hand now. "Yeah… Yeah. Sorry. Guess I'm just a little tired right now," he smiled quickly running back out onstage with Jason.

He gave it his all on the last song. The people in the audience deserved it. They were part of the reason he was living out his dream. He needed to live up to their expectations. But not only theirs – his own, his family's and he wanted to maintain that integrity he had hoped Emma had seen in him even if she wasn't aware of it right now. That wasn't who he was.

After the concert Carly caught David A by the arm as they headed to their busses.

"Hey, Archie. You notice something going on with David?" she asked, her eyes gazing toward the other David as he put something under the bus, his back pack over his shoulder.

Archuleta's expression changed to one of concern. "You know, he hasn't really been himself the last few days now that you mention it. He's tried. He's still put on the show. But you can tell he's withdrawn a little."

Carly nodded her head. "Good. Good to know I'm not the only one noticing something a little off with our Idol over there. Listen, Archie, do you think you could talk to him? I would, but you'll have all night on that bus with him. He already knows I'm a little worried and I don't want to push it with him."

Little David nodded. "Of course. He's important to me too. Like the older brother I never had. Good lookin' out, Momma C," he said with a smile and a laugh.

"Watch it, kid," Carly responded, giving him a playful push toward the bus.

"Child abuse!" he yelled, half-jokingly as he walked up the steps.

The guys settled into the bus. Jason headed to sleep immediately. Michael called his wife. The Davids…they sat at the front of the bus with their computers. Every now and then Archuleta would look up to see if Big David was in any sort of mood to talk.

_**ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUS  
><strong>_

David opened his laptop to see if Simon had any other bits of information to share with him. More dates, deadlines, photoshoots, interviews? Thankfully there were just 2 messages. One from the tour manager about the last few dates on the road. The other was from Harper. One more in her latest batch checking up on him.

_From: _

_Sent: Tues 5:34 PM_

_Reply-to: _

_To: _

_Subject: Checking In…_

_Hi David,_

_It's Harper…again. I know I've emailed you a lot this week. I'm half tempted to find your phone number on that paper Emma has somewhere and call you because I'm worried. You haven't responded to any of my messages. I don't want to just step into the middle of all of this, but I know you're both hurting and need to think it out for yourselves. However, I also know how you left from our apartment and figured you might want to talk it out some more. And…you know, I'm not above reminding you that I can let you know how Emma is doing. She does live with me. _

_Anyway, I just want to know the guy that cares about my best friend is ok because I know somewhere in there she does want to trust him. And if she's going to do that, I need to know he's safe._

_Take care of yourself, David. I hope the rest of the tour dates are going well. You're destined for great things. Hope to hear back from you soon._

_Harper_

David sighed. He knew he wasn't really helping the situation at all by not responding to Harper. She'd been the one to help him think straight so soon after the incident with Emma in the kitchen. Even though it hurt to hear, she'd been right. Carrying on with life as usual was best for Emma for now and he needed to sort things out for himself. He'd been doing a pretty good job pushing that to the back of his mind though as the tour amped up for the final dates. No time to think about it. At least that's what he told himself after he'd spent hours after everyone else had gone to sleep thinking about what he could have done to make things happen differently.

"Hey, David?"

He looked up at Archuleta and smiled. "Yes, other David?"

"You okay, man?"

"Am I that obvious?" David asked.

Archuleta shook his head. "Well, not really. Not to everyone. But to your little brother from another mother and Carly, yes."

Closing his laptop, David leaned his head back on the couch. He should have known one of the two of them would catch him when he thought no one was looking – going off into another world with his thoughts.

"You caught me."

David A nodded his head. "Want to talk about it?" he asked, trying to tread lightly.

"Do you ever wonder if this fame is going to be worth it?" David asked, genuinely curious as to what the younger man's answer would be. Looking over at him, he saw his question being carefully contemplated. Archie was still so young but wise beyond his years as David had learned over the months of the show.

"You know, I do question it sometimes. I'm grateful to have my family be so supportive but they keep me grounded. Like I know yours does too. Your family is great."

David smiled. "Yeah, they are pretty amazing. Do you worry about the fame affecting you though? Your life? Your family?"

David A answered him slowly, choosing his words purposefully. "I worry about it. I don't want it to change who I am. On the other hand, I know my lifestyle will have to change in certain ways if I want to do this as something I love. But…", he paused to think for a moment. "But…I know I have the power to choose what I want to change and how I change it. It's up to me. Not only can I decide what I let affect me, I can also decide how I affect other things, other people. Like my family."

Big David let Little David's words sink in. "Wise beyond your years you are, young Yoda."

Archuleta smiled as he leaned his head back against one of the pillows on the couch on his side of the bus. "Patience, young grasshopper. Wise you will also be one day."

David laughed. "Thanks, Archie. I needed that reminder that I still have that power to decide how I live my life. It's hard to feel that in the middle of this sometimes."

"Anytime. You're like a brother to me. I expect the favor to be returned many a time in the future."

"You bet," David replied, grateful to have been able to meet this kid at all.

He stood eventually, taking his laptop with him to his bunk. Archuleta had fallen asleep on the couch.

He laid down finally and began to think about decisions. He had a few to make.

Before the night was over he had not one plan, but two.

_**THE NEXT DAY IN KENTUCKY**_

When Emma returned home from work there was a message on the machine she shared with Harper. Thanks to TTY she was able to comprehend the message. It was from the Lexington Philharmonic. They wanted to talk to her, schedule a meeting. This puzzled her while at the same time stirring up a mix of contentment and anxiety. It was clear where both of those emotions came from – her recent stint conducting and…anxiety from all that followed thereafter.

She hadn't really thought much of that night since it happened. Work had been non-stop with the beginning of school inventory and stock, back to school events at the bookstore, she just couldn't. She'd had her moment. She'd been pissed, she'd been angry, she got scared, she cried, she felt alone… But no more. It happened. Time to move on. She couldn't dwell on it further. If she did, she might start realizing she was more attached to him or the idea of him or even him as a friend than she originally intended.

No. For now she had to focus on her job and apparently, a call from the Lexington Philharmonic.

Looking at the clock she wondered if their offices were still open. It was still a little before 6pm. They opened a little later than most businesses and closed a bit later due to performances, box office. She decided to give it a chance.

Clearing her throat and hoping for as clear a voice as possible, she waited as the phone rang.

"This is the Lexington Philharmonic, how may I help you?" a man's voice answered.

"Um… Hi. This is Emma Lane. I, uh, got a call that someone wanted to talk to me from the Philharmonic?" she replied, wincing at the sound of her own voice.

"Oh! Ms. Lane. I'm so glad you called. They are so excited to talk to you about this opportunity. How are you feeling about it?" the man asked excitedly.

Emma was taken aback. She shook her head slightly in confusion. "Ahh. I'm sorry. What opportunity are you talking about?"

"Oh my. I think I said too much. You'll have to forgive me. I thought they'd left a message for you with a little more information. Hmm," he said and paused for a moment. "Well… They would like to see if you'd be interested in conducting the Lexington Youth Symphony later this fall. They were quite impressed by you, Ms. Lane."

Emma's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what was being said. If it weren't for the words also being transcribed on the TTY phone in front of her, she wouldn't have taken him seriously. "Are you…are you kidding me?" she asked.

He laughed, "No ma'am. Serious as can be."

She stumbled over her words, "I, uh… I…I'm flattered. Um, I guess I need to think about it? And…we need to meet?"

"Of course, of course. When works good for you later this week?"

Emma thought through her calendar for the week and responded, her mouth and hands working together while her mind was still trying to comprehend what just happened.

"That's perfect, Ms. Lane. They are so looking forward to meeting with you."

Words came from her mouth, but she wasn't sure what they were. Boy…did she have news to share when Harper finally got home that night.


End file.
